Obsidian Wars Part 1: Apple White & The Seven Riders
by AndrewK9000
Summary: The realm of fairytales has been invaded by a malicious enemy seeking to corrupt the world, kidnap Raven and murder Apple. Only seven young heroes, chosen by the powers that be, can save the realm. Fates will be change, soul mates will find each other and one would be villainess will discover her true place in the world. But not all will survive.
1. Prolog: Celestial Prophecy

_Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is my very first Ever After High story and I hope you like it! Okay, I've been doing Kingdom Hearts crossover fics pretty much nonstop for a long, long while. But now the time has come to do something different, and boy, do I have a story for you! A tale that will cross Ever After High with Kamen Rider._

_Now, about my choice of material. When I first heard about Ever After High, I had mixed feelings. On one hand I thought it was just a spin-off from Monster High and wouldn't be that special. On the other hand, I was intrigued by the promise of a new twist on classic fairytales and I was not disappointed. Here we have the next generation of fairytale characters divided into two camps; Royals whom are content in following in their forbearers footsteps and the Rebels whom seek to write their own destines. Pure gold in my opinion and just begging for fan fiction. This story will combine both the webisodes and the novel :The Storybook of Legends, taking place after the book and between the webisodes The Tale of Legacy Day and True Hearts Day._

_As for my other material, this will be my second story involving the Kamen Rider franchise. Technically it'll involve Kamen Rider Kabuto, but the Riders will all be original characters of my own design, while they'll have the same transformations, suits and powers as seen in Kabuto, while there'll be references to other Kamen Rider shows._

_As usual, I'm writing this for my own enjoyment and for the enjoyment of my fellow readers and writers. No doubt there'll be some out here whom will not enjoy the story, while some might go so far as to hate it. I'm okay with it, but what I'm not okay is getting reviews and Personal Messages from people whom apparently hate for the sake of hating. If you don't like it, don't read it and please, don't bombard me with negative emails. Just remember, __**THIS IS FANFICTION!**_

_Also as usual, I don't own Ever After High or Kamen Rider, just the plot and my original characters, so please don't sue me. I'm just trying to write a good story. And now, without further delay, please enjoy…_

**Ever After High: The Obsidian Wars**

**Part 1: Apple White & The Seven Riders**

**By AndrewK9000**

**Prolog: The Celestial Prophecy**

'_From beyond the borders of reality, a shadow shall emerge to corrupt the realms of imagination and spread darkness throughout time and space. Seven shall be chosen by the light to combat the shadows, granted power to protect the helpless and defend the innocent. Of the seven, three shall pay the ultimate price, while one shall be revealed as a traitor, falling from grace and rising with a heart as black as night. The Child of Light shall meet her One True Love, while The Child of Dark shall learn her true destiny'_

"Oh come on, is that anyway to start the story?" Madeline 'Maddie' Hatter, daughter of The Mad Hatter, asked as she and Raven Queen, daughter of The Evil Queen, hurried up the spiral stairs of the tallest tower in Ever After High.

"Are you talking to your narrator friends again?" Raven asked.

"Nope, there's a different one now," said Maddie, "but enough of that fiddle faddle. We're going to be late for the show, Raven, hurry up!

"We've got ten minutes, Maddie!" said Raven, "and the eclipse is supposed to last for over an hour. Trust me, we won't miss it."

"But this is so much more than a total lunar eclipse!" said Maddie eagerly, "do you know the chances of a lunar eclipse occurring simultaneously with a meteor shower? About as rare as a duck and a swallow doing the foxtrot at Beltane"

"Astronomy and math were never my strong points," said Raven in a slightly depressed tone.

At that Maddie turned around and looked at Raven, her normally bright and confident expression turning into a frown of concern, "are you alright, Raven?" she asked.

"No, I'm not alright," said Raven in a depressed and mildly annoyed tone, "I'm…" she hesitated on her words.

"You're what?" Maddie asked and she walked town to Raven, "whatever's bothering you, you can tell me. And if you're worried about sharing a secret, I won't tell a soul." She placed her gloved hand over my heart, "cross my heart and hope to make boysenberry pancakes!"

At that Raven laughed, she always laughed when Maddie tried to make her do so. Whatever powers that be had planned to bring the two of them together, Raven was grateful.

"Well," said Raven, "it's been several weeks since Legacy Day, and…"

"And Apple is still harping on you on how she's supposed to have a happy ending and you're not ?" Maddie asked, "I know that. Peas and Crackers! Could she be more rude?"

"Oh, she's not talking about much of anything," said Raven, "she says 'good morning, good afternoon and goodnight,' and that's it. Instead of pressing me to sign The Storybook of Legends, she's starting to ignoring me for the most part. I just…"

Raven knew what she wanted to say to Maddie, how she had no regrets for refusing to sign the Storybook of Legends after witnessing her following and even surpassing her mother's wickedness. Raven even went so far as to tear her page out of the book, proclaiming for Rebels and Royals alike to hear that she was writing her own destiny. To say that Apple White, daughter of Snow White, and her fellow Royals didn't take it well would be an understatement.

"You don't know the half of it," said Maddie.

"Are you talking to your friends, the narrators again?" Raven asked.

"Just because only I can hear them doesn't mean they're not real," said Maddie, "and it's just one this time, isn't that right, Mr. Narrator? Or should I call you AndrewK9000, right?"

_ Hey, I'm involved enough as it is in telling the story, don't drag me into it. Anyway, wait, where was I?_

"You were at the point where Raven declared her independence of blindly following destiny," said Maddie, "and you had a good point," she then looked at Raven, "you did the right thing, not only for yourself, but for everyone who wants to choose their fates, to write their own stories. So what if Apple and those other crownies hate you for ruining their precious Legacy Day? Best Legacy Day ever after, in my humble opinion," she then took off her hat, revealing a teapot and cup on her head, poured some tea and sipped it.

"I don't regret it," said Raven, "I'm glad I did it. I'm even more glad that everyone heard me sing at the Legacy Day Ball. But what's really bothering me is Apple. I know I hurt her by not signing the book and not assuring her Happily Ever After. But she can still have her happy ending if she would just let go and make her own decisions."

"She just needs to find her true self," said Maddie, "after all, when birds and bunnies go for a swim, how much does it take to skip the rope?"

At that Raven laughed again, "what does that mean?" she asked.

"Oh, did I fall into Riddlish again? Sorry," said Maddie, "I meant to say that Apple will only stay miserable if she keeps acting like you ended her world."

"No, I just killed her future," said Raven in a depressed tone, "and our friendship. We were getting along so well, but now I'm afraid she'll never forgive me."

"She will," said Maddie, "in fact, she may start to forgive you tonight. You never know."

"Did your narrator friend tell you that?" Raven asked suspiciously.

_ I certainly did not! I wouldn't spoil things like that!_

"I guessed it on my own, Mr. AndrewK9000," said Maddie, "but thanks for the hint!"

_ Me and my big words. _Anyway, after checking the time, Maddie and Raven hurried up the rest of the stairs to the tower roof, where already several of the fellow Ever After High classmates were looking up at the brilliant night sky. The full moon was up and could be seen high over the Village of Book End.

Raven saw that her fellow students had been divided along the Royal/Rebel lines. Off to one side was Apple White, Briar Beauty, Ashlynn Ella, Blondie Lockes, Lizzie Heart and the Charming Brothers, Daring and Dexter. These and others with them were the Royals, those whom were content in the Happily Ever After predetermined for them.

On the other side of the roof was Cerise Hood, Cedar Wood, Kitty Cheshire, C.A. Cupid and Hunter Huntsman, as well as others whom wanted to write their own happy endings. These were the Rebels.

Raven and Maddie walked over to Cerise and the other Rebels, whom warmly greeted their fellow freedom seekers. Raven noticed that Briar, Ashlynn and the other Royals were looking at them coldly, while Daring glared at Raven with unwelcome eyes and the others ignored her. All except for Dexter and Apple, with Dexter nervously glancing between Raven and his brother, while Apple's eyes held regret and sadness at the loss of their friendship, yet anger over Raven's defiance of the natural order, defiance of destiny.

"Hey, Raven," said Cedar, drawing Raven's attention away from Apple and the other Royals, "after hearing you singing at the ball, I was thinking that, well, would you be interested in starting a band?"

"You know," said Raven, "that's actually a good idea, at least it's one I'll think about. Thanks, Cedar, you want to join?"

"Well, no, not actually join," said Cedar, "I mean, I'd like to, but I'm not that into music. Not that I don't like music, I do, I just don't sing well, I mean…I'm tone deaf!" she blurted out, then sighed, "I am so getting tired of telling the truth all the time."

"You think you've got problems?" Kitty asked with her usual mischievous grin, "talk to Cerise. I hear that her problems are epic."

At that Cerise gave a low growl, "I thought we had an understanding," she said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, and what understanding would that be?" Kitty taunted.

"You keep your big mouth shut," whispered Cerise, her eyes then flashed yellow, "and I don't show you just how may ways there are to skin a cat."

"You could do that," said Kitty, "but you'd have to catch me first!" she then flashed out, her all too white smile vanishing last.

"I'd like to tie her up and shove a ball of yarn up where the sun don't shine!" said Cerise irately.

"You okay?" Raven asked in a hushed tone.

At that Cerise pulled her hood a little lower, further concealing her wolfish ears, "it's the full moon, I've always been irritable when it's in the sky."

"You're not going to…" Raven started to ask but hesitated.

"If you mean go full wolf, no," said Cerise, "I'm too human to fully transform. No, " she looked up at the full moon, "the only thing I've got to deal with are mood swings and excessively sensitive senses. Right now, I can hear Apple and her friends whispering."

"What are they saying?" Raven asked, "what's Apple saying?"

"They're still talking about that bombshell you dropped during Legacy Day," said Cerise, "and how you've ruined their stories. Briar isn't as upset, while Ashlynn is just plain miserable."

"I can imagine," said Raven. Though she didn't have any certifiable proof, Raven was sure that Ashlynn and Hunter were deeply in love, despite being from different social classes and stories, and the fact that they were on opposing sides of a divided school was silently but surely breaking their hearts.

But then everyone heard Blondie shout, "Look it's starting!" as she pointed up at the moon. Indeed, a shadow was slowly making it's way across the moon, blocking out its shining brilliance.

"This is it!" said Briar as she, Apple, Raven and the others hurried to the stone railing at the edge of the roof. As chance would have it, Apple and Raven were standing right next to each other at the stonework.

"When's the meteor shower supposed to start?" Ashlynn asked.

"Approximately two minutes after the eclipse reaches its totality," said Dexter.

"We should see the first of the meteors around there," said Hunter as he pointed at an area of the sky.

"No, it's more towards there," said Cedar as she pointed a few degrees to the right and up from where Hunter pointed.

"No, I was told it was there," said Hunter as he pointed to his indicated area of the sky.

"No, it's there!" said Cedar as she pointed to her indicated area of the sky, "are you calling me a liar! Well, in a way you're right, but I know I'm right about this."

"You're both right," said Apple, "the meteor shower will take up the sky where you pointed at and so much more," she pointed to an area of the sky below the moon, then made a wide sweep of her arm to the left, leaning against the stone railing, "all the way to over-AHHHH!"

The stonework where Apple had been leaning against gave way and she began to go over the edge of the roof. She shrieked with fright as she fell, but was caught by Raven before the point of no return.

"It's alright, I got you!" said Raven as she helped Apple back onto the balcony. Everyone else had started forward to help but Apple was already safe, a bit shaken up but otherwise unharmed.

"Oh…oh, thank you, Raven," panted Apple as she clutched at her franticly beating heart, "that…that was a fantastic catch."

"Not too shabby," said Daring, "though your technique needed polishing. Then again, this hardly counts as heroics."

"Why not?" Cerise asked, "she saved Apple."

"If Raven had been two seconds slower, one second slower even," said Maddie as she looked at her watch, "hmm…apparently it's half a day slow. Anyway, if Raven hadn't caught Apple, she'd be applesauce by now."

At that, Apple's already pale complexion paled even further.

"I know she saved her," said Daring, "but how did Apple get into such a situation in the first place?"

"Are you saying…are you thinking…" said Dexter, yet the words seemed to fail him.

"That Raven pushed Apple?" Lizzie asked as she shuffled her cards, "I completely agree."

"What?!" Raven exclaimed, "I…no! No, I didn't push Apple! Don't be ridiculous!"

"It's absurd!" said Apple, "she most certainly did not push me!"

"How can you be so sure she didn't?" Briar asked, "she was standing right next to you."

"Everyone was looking up at the stars when it happened," said Cerise.

"I wasn't," said Maddie, "I saw what happened. Apple leaned against the stonework and it crumbled like cherry cobbler!"

"That doesn't make any sense," said Blondie, "not surprising actually."

"Well, I saw what I saw!" Maddie said stubbornly as she poured more tea into her cup, "and anyone who says otherwise is wrong, plain and simple!"

"I say otherwise," said Lizzie.

"You weren't even looking when Apple fell!" said Raven, "I'm telling you people, I didn't push Apple."

"She didn't!" Apple insisted, "I would have felt someone pushing me and I did not! No, this was a case of stonework in need of repair, and I'll speak to Headmaster Grimm first thing in the morning."

"Okay, so Raven didn't push Apple," said Dexter.

"That still doesn't let her off the hook," said Daring.

"Maybe she used a spell to weaken the stonework," said Briar.

"I haven't used my magic for anything in the last hour!" said an exasperated Raven, "what do I have to do to convince you people that I didn't do anything?!"

"Nothing, because you did it!" said Briar in an outraged tone.

"What else did you expect from someone who would throw their destiny away?" Blondie asked, "it's not enough that Raven's supposed to poison Apple sometime in the future. She had to rip her page out of The Storybook of Legends, and now she decided to waste Apple!"

Upon hearing this accusation, Raven felt utterly outraged. How dare Blondie, or anyone for that matter, make such an outright untruthful statement! Apple was her friend, despite their differences! The very idea that Raven would intentionally, physically harm Apple was enough to make Raven want to use her powers in a rather unpleasant and painful manner, unpleasant and painful for Blondie that is.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!" Apple snapped, startling everyone, while snapping Raven out of her anger fueled fugue.

"Look of all of you!" said Apple, her eyes blazing with fury at her fellow Royals, "putting the blame on someone without even an ounce of proof."

"We don't need proof, Apple!" said Briar, "she tried to kill you!"

"She's evil!" said Daring, "evil and an anarchist, that's evidence enough!"

For a split second, Raven thought she saw Dexter about to say something, not another accusation, but rather to argue in her defense. Yet Dexter held his silence, as if he lacked the confidence to argue with his brother.

"I say that it's no evidence!" said Apple, "anyone wish to call me a liar? Well? Whom among you wish to say I'm wrong? No one? Well, I guess I have the floor then. Now, let me make myself perfectly clear. I know what Raven did on Legacy Day. I am still upset, more than upset and it will be a long time before I can forgive her, if I ever forgive her at all. But I know that she bears me no ill will at this moment in time. Don't say a word, all of you! I'm still not finished.

"Raven did not push me, she did not use a spell or did anything to make me fall. It was an accident, plain and simple. Now if any of you still wish to dispute this further, by all means, do so. We can argue until our destines are fulfilled, or at least until I can write to my mother, and then she can write to your parents."

At that, Raven saw Briar, Daring and the other accusers calm down, as if the threat of getting their parents involved was a relief valve for their irrational fury.

"You're right, Apple," said Briar, "you're absolutely right," she then looked at Raven, "I'm…I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

"I feel like I've been reduced from the Queen of Hearts to the 2 of Clubs," said Lizzie in a subdued tone.

"I feel just plain ashamed of myself," said Ashlynn, while Blondie and the others nodded in shameful agreement.

"Hey…it's okay," said Raven in a slightly unsure tone, "you just lost your cool for a bit, that's all."

"It's an eclipse," said Cerise, "the moon…it does strange things to you."

"You're one to talk," muttered Kitty.

"I bet you enjoyed that, didn't you?" an irate Cerise asked.

"Pity it ended so quickly," said Kitty, then gave a slight giggle.

"Oh go chase some yarn," said Maddie. At that everyone except Kitty laughed, while said cat-girl looked like she wanted to rip Maddie apart yet managed to keep her temper.

"Let's just enjoy the celestial show," said Dexter.

"Good idea," said Raven. With that she and the others resumed looking up at the sky, while the shadow over the moon changed from black to rose pink.

Cerise then stood next to Raven and whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you more. I feel like I owe you for what you did to help me."

"Don't," Raven whispered, "I don't want you or anyone to be in my debt. And I understand. If I were you and you were me, I would have been afraid."

"I don't want to be afraid so much," said Cerise, "I don't want to constantly hide my true nature from everyone, but…" she pulled her hood down more, "but they wouldn't understand."

"They might if you give them a chance," said Raven.

It wasn't long before the eclipse had reached its totality, turning the moon various shades of rose and pink, while enhancing the brightness of the stars. A few minutes later first one shooting star appeared, then another and another and before long, there were dozens and then hundreds of lights streaking across the sky.

"It's so beautiful!" said an awed Ashlynn.

"Like a celestial dream," said Apple as she, Raven. Briar and the others looked up with amazed expressions.

Yet there were three of the group whom were not looking up with awe, but with apprehension.

"Do you feel it?" Kitty asked Maddie and Lizzie in a serious tone.

"Yes," said Lizzie to her fellow Wonderlanders in an equally serious tone.

"'By the prickling of my thumbs,'" Maddie quoted, "'something wicked this way comes.'" she then looked into her pocket, where her pet mouse was curled up and trembling, "even Earl Gray feels it."

"But what is it?" Kitty asked as she continued to look up, fear now creeping into her eyes and voice, "I don't know what, but I feel as if we're all in terrible danger."

"Your feelings are not baseless," said Lizzie as she drew a card from her deck. By the faint light of the stars and meteor shower, she saw that the card was the Ace of Spades.

* * *

On a hill overlooking the town of Book End, a shimmering gray wall the size of a doorframe appeared. From it emerged a seemingly ordinary man. He was tall with short, black hair parted on the left side with dark brown, almost black eyes. He had a pale complexion and wore a black business suit and tie with polished black shoes. Yet underneath this ordinary exterior lay a heart as black as the void between stars and full of malicious intent.

The man looked out over the township of Book End, then further on towards the school where future fairytale characters prepared for their destines. He then looked up at the meteor shower and smiled viciously.

"Right on time," the man said with a cultured accent. He then reached into his pocket, pulled out a black cell phone and dialed a number. "It's me," he said into the phone, "I've arrived…yes…yes, I see it. Everything is on schedule. We can begin immediately."

* * *

As the man in the black suit, the students of E.A.H. and many in the village looked up at the meteor shower, they failed to notice that several of the meteorites from space made it through the atmosphere without fully burning up. The rocks were small, no more than a centimeter in length. The meteors landed throughout Book End and its surrounding environments without causing any noticeable damage. Yet as they landed, the micro meteors cracked open, unleashing a minute amount of a viscous green liquid that was instantly absorbed beneath the surface. It didn't matter where the liquid was, be it on grass, bare earth, stone or the streets of the village, it was absorbed, while the meteor liquid that was on the roof of buildings slithered down drainage pipes and out onto the streets to be absorbed.

All this went unnoticed by the people of this world, with only a handful even sensing a hint of something wrong.

* * *

In a side alleyway of Book End appeared another shimmering gray wall. From that wall emerged seven individuals on motorcycles, each of them wearing helmets that concealed their faces. They rode their bikes through the streets, the motorcycles oddly quiet for the machines they were, barely making any noise and passing through the towns streets without attracting attention form its inhabitants.

The seven reached an abandoned building with a wide set of doors on one side, slowing down as they reached the side doors and turned their motorcycles off. The one riding the forefront motorcycle got off his bike and looked at his six companions, "this is the place," he said through his helmet, "let's get started."

At that the other six riders nodded in agreement, dismounted and all seven wheeled their motorcycles through the side doors, with the leader closing the doors behind them.

* * *

Deep within Mirror Prison, secured within the most isolated, most escape proof cell in the institution, Rebecca 'The Evil' Queen sat, facing the corner of the 8X10 room that had was all that was left to her after her rampage across the fairytale realms. Her rein of terror that violated the boundaries of countless stories and left Wonderland so chaotic that its inhabitants had to evacuate their home and settle throughout the rest of the realms, had merited out the death penalty. Yet at the last moment, Snow White had committed her vile stepmother's sentence to life with no hope for parole.

As far as the fairytale realms were concerned, Rebecca Queen was dead, while only Raven and a few others knew that Rebecca still drew breath. Yet Rebecca was content for the moment, for she knew that in time she would have her ultimate revenge.

That time was drawing nearer as her web of hidden informants fed her news of Raven's rebellion against the destiny laid out for her. Yet despite her incarceration, the loss of her powers and humiliation, she was patient, a virtue she held more valuable than her vice of vanity.

Her silent reverie of revenge was disrupted when the food slot on her cell door opened and a prison trustee pushed in a tray containing a late evening meal consisting of a small loaf of bread, a bowl of vegetable soup and a cup of water. Rebecca retrieved her supper and broke open the bread, extracting a small hollow metal rod, for this was her means of communicating with the outside world.

Eager for news beyond the walls of her cell, Rebecca opened the rod and took out a rolled up square of parchment. She read the message, frowning slightly at unexpected news. Yet her frowned turned to a slight smile, for this was news she could find most useful to her cause.

Walking over to the cot that served as her bed, she reached under and opened a hidden compartment in the stone floor, extracting a piece of parchment, a small bottle of ink and a quill. Nibbling on her bread, Rebecca composed a reply that would be sent out with the remains of her supper, thinking that her moment would come sooner than expected.

…_The End Is Just The Beginning…_


	2. Chapter 1: The Fateful Encounter

**Chapter 1: The Fateful Encounter**

Over a week passed since the eclipse and meteor shower for Raven and her fellow students. Though the event was the spectacular spectacle everyone expected it be, word had gotten out of Apple's brief brush with death and Raven's rush to her aid. Most of the student's didn't know what to think of this. Why would Raven, whom had defied years upon years upon years of tradition and cast aside her destiny, save Apple? And even more so, was she the one to cause the accident?

Throughout the days since the night of the meteor shower, Raven felt like she was walking on eggshells. Though she didn't hear it, she knew her classmates were whispering behind her back, while she was met with suspicious eyes in the hallways and in the classrooms. And though no one openly accused her of anything, Raven knew that she was suspected of trying to harm Apple.

Yet the one person whom decisively spoke up for her the night of the meteor shower, wasn't talking to her

"They're just being foolish," said Maddie told Raven during the week, "foolish and paranoid and quite rude if I may add."

"Saying they're being foolish won't change their minds," said Raven, "everyone thinks I tried to Apple. Even Headmaster Grimm thinks so. Don't believe me? He talked with me the morning after the meteor shower and you know what he told me?"

"No, I don't," said Maddie, "though I bet you didn't like what he said.."

"I'll tell you what he told me," said Raven as she placed her hands on her hips, "he told me that he was proud that I was finally getting in touch with my villainy and getting back on track with my destiny, but advised caution on how I expressed my inner darkness, least I accidentally cause you too much harm and prevent either of us from fulfilling our destinies."

At that Maddie frowned, "I find it hard to believe that Headmaster Grimm would take student gossip so seriously. It's complete nonsense. 'Accidentally cause Apple too much harm.' Narggals and Blibbering Humdingers! I know you'd never do that."

"I know it too," said Raven, "and so does Apple," at that she sighed, "but she's still not talking to me."

* * *

And so here Raven was, early Friday morning, laying in bed, trying to figure out how to get Apple to talk with her. Finally, as the sky lightened towards dawn, Raven decided on the direct approach.

"Can we talk?" she asked Apple as they got ready to head down to breakfast.

"Of course we can talk," said Apple in a polite yet cold tone, "we're both capable of speech, so I see no reason why we shouldn't be able to use our voices."

"I meant can we have a conversation?" Raven asked.

"Yes, we are logical, rational people," said Apple in the same polite and cold tone.

By now Raven was getting impatient with her roommate, "I want to talk about what happened on Legacy Day."

"What's there to talk about?" Apple asked, "I signed the book and you didn't, end of discussion."

"There's still a lot to talk about," said Raven, "look, I know I hurt your feelings when I didn't sign the book, and…"

"You did more than hurt my feelings!" said Apple irately, "you destroyed any and all certainty of a Happily Ever After for not only me, but for Daring and everyone else who didn't sign the book. You doomed yourself and your Rebels! You might as well have doomed our entire world!"

"First of all," said Raven irately, "I told everyone who hadn't signed the book yet that it was their choice to not sign. But then Headmaster Grimm took that choice from everyone when he spirited the book away. Second, I had a very good reason not to sign."

"Oh yes, your fear of going 'Poof!' out of existence!" said Apple, "well, you didn't 'Poof!'"

"Because the threat of Poofing was a lie!" said Raven, "the whole Storybook of Legends and Legacy Day, it's all a lie to keep everyone confined to the same stories over and over again!"

"You mean keep everyone safe and secure!" said Apple.

"A prison by any other name is still a prison," said Raven.

At that Apple hesitated before she continued, "I'm not going to degrade myself by responding to that, I have too much to do as it is."

"Oh yes, we all know what a busy schedule the future Snow White has," said Raven irately, "learning about royalty and being the perfect princess and future monarch. You know what I've seen you doing in your free time all week? Reading, that's what," she then looked at a pile of books on Apple's bedside table, "and they're the same books you've been reading ever since we first met." She then walked over to the table and reached to pick up one of the books, "wait a second, these aren't real books, they're hollow copies."

"Don't touch them!" Apple shouted as Raven picked up one of the hollow books and took out a magazine.

"What could you be reading that you want to hide?" Raven asked as she looked at the magazine, "wait…this…this is a medical journal." She then opened the other hollow books and took out more magazines and a few real books, "these are all medical journals and books about medicine and healing."

"Well," said Apple in an embarrassed tone, "so what if they are? Even princesses are entitled to a hobby."

"Yeah, but still," said Raven as she looked at the medical books, "'Advanced First Aid,' 'Advanced Anatomy,' and these journals are all on the latest medical techniques and discoveries. You're diving into some really heavy stuff here."

"I'm still entitled to a hobby," said Apple as she picked up her magazines and books, then moved them to a nearby chest, placed the books in the chest and locked it. She then glanced at her bedside clock, "oh, look at the time, we're late for breakfast! And they're serving chocolate chip pancakes."

"Oh, those are my favorite!" said Raven with longing.

"Mine too," said Apple, "but by the time we get down to the castleteria, there won't be any left."

"Oh, I suppose that would be my fault too?" Raven asked irately, "why don't you sing for your animal friends to bring some up from the kitchen?"

"I'd ask if you could have some of your minions bring up breakfast," said Apple irately, "but I'd rather not have my pancakes soiled by goblin sweat. I could also ask if you could use magic, but I'd rather not have my breakfast explode in my mouth!"

"First of all," said Raven irately, "I'm still getting used to having minions, goblin or otherwise! Chances are, I'm going to give them a nice retirement package and send them back to their homes if I can't think of anything else. Second, my magic has been working surprisingly well the past few weeks. In fact, my magic's been getting better since Legacy Day. And you know what? I think I will summon breakfast," suddenly, she smiled as an idea occurred to her, "or I could try something special." With that she went over to her bed, knelt down, reached under her bed and pulled out a medium sized suitcase.

"What's that?" Apple asked as Raven placed the suitcase on her bed and unzipped it.

"Something I've been working on," said Raven as she took out several books from the suitcase, "these aren't dark magic tomes, not the kind my mother wanted me to read."

"Is that supposed to make me feel less nervous?" Apple asked.

"This isn't the kind of magic that will end up hurting someone," said Raven as she found the book she had been looking for, opened it and began turning the pages, "assuming I do the spell correctly."

"And just what kind of spell are you planning on using?" Apple asked cautiously.

"Something that I did use before," said Raven as she continued to page through the book, "but this kind of spell needs to be refreshed now and then, depending on how long between casting. Ah, here it is: Hyper Time."

Before Apple could ask what Hyper Time was, Raven began moving her hands, forming patters as her hands glowed dark purple, while chanting words that Apple couldn't understand.

"Hold on!" said Raven, smiling eagerly as she grabbed Apple's hand. There was a flash of purple light and then everything around Raven and Apple appeared brighter but slightly out of focus, while a rising and falling resonation could be heard.

"What did you do?" Apple asked in a serious tone.

"I accelerated us into Hyper Time," said Raven, "or 'Clocked Up.' It's a really advanced spell that allows the caster and up to two additional people to move so fast, the rest of the world is nearly frozen in place."

"We're moving that fast?" Apple asked in a cautious yet awed tone as she looked out the window, where she could see a pair of bluebirds slowly flapping their wings, as if they were crawling through the air. "How…long does it last?"

"No more than a few minutes for us," said Raven, "but only a few seconds will pass for the rest of the world."

"Then let's not waste the extra time given to us," said Apple as she smiled eagerly. With that the two of them hurried out of their dorm and down to the cafeteria. As they made their way through the halls and stairwells, they saw their teachers and fellow students slowed in time, some in mid-stride, others in mid conversation and one was in the middle of a sneeze.

Just as they reached the castleteria, the spell ended and time resumed its normal flow for the two girls. The lighting returned to normal and everyone resumed their activities.

"That…was…incredible!" said Apple as she and Raven picked up trays and got in line for breakfast, "but why did you do it? Your magic…what would have happened if something went wrong?"

"A lot could have gone wrong," said Raven, "we could have been trapped in Hyper Time, unable to interact with the normal world without causing a lot of damage."

"What does that mean?" Apple asked.

"If we had bumped into anything," said Raven, "such as a wall or a locker, the force of us moving so fast against it could have damaged it. And if we had bumped into one of our friends, they could have been seriously hurt.. And if we had been hurt while in Clocked Up…well…let's just say that something as simple as a scratch could be made much worse."

"I can't believe you would put me at such risk!" exclaimed Apple, catching the attention of Ashlynn, Briar, Maddie, Cerise and the others, "that you would put yourself at such risk! I don't know if I should feel happy that you've embracing your villainy or to be outraged!"

"At least we made it for breakfast," said Raven, "and you did call me out on my magic."

"Then why'd you do it?" Blondie asked as she held up her mirror tablet, recording the whole incident.

"I may not like being the daughter of the Evil Queen," said Raven, "I particularly don't like the idea of being the next Evil Queen, but there's one thing I'll risk bending the rules for," she then slid her tray up to be served, "and that's chocolate chip pancakes," she was then served a stack of pancakes, as well as two fried eggs, sausage links, half a grapefruit and a tall glass of orange juice.

"Well, just don't do it again," said Apple, "especially not with me," she then looked at Blondie, "and don't post this on your blog, there's been enough rumors going about with me and Raven as it is," she then addressed her fellow students, "I'm serious! I'm getting a little tired of all of you whispering behind Raven's back. She didn't try to kill me the night of the meteor shower. So please, stop it."

At that the students, whom had been giving Apple their undivided attention, all nodded, not at once that is, and went back to their breakfast.

"Wow, you can be kinda scary when you're serious," said Raven as Apple was served her breakfast, "and speaking of serious," she then indicated the table where Lizzie, Kitty and the rest of the young Wonderlanders were talking in a hushed conversation, "I don't know how I should feel about them being serious and all."

"I noticed," said Apple as she and Raven sat down at one of the tables where they were soon joined by Maddie, Cerise, Ashlynn, Briar and Blondie, "ever since the meteor shower."

"I noticed too," said Briar, while Ashlynn nodded in agreement.

"It's as if the meteor shower had a negative impression on them," said Blondie, "but I'm sure it's nothing to get worried about, probably just a phase."

"I wouldn't be too quick to dismiss it," said C.A. Cupid as she sat down next to Blondie, "some would consider a lunar eclipse and a meteor shower a double sign of ill fortune on the horizon."

"Worried that a lot of hearts will be broken?" Ashlynn asked in a concerned tone.

"On the contrary," said Cupid as she smiled warmly, "in terms of love, future things are looking quite bright. I'm no expert on fortune telling, but I'd be willing to bet that all five of you definitely have wedding bells in your future, even you, Raven Queen."

"Don't bet on me," said Raven, "I don't have time for a relationship, and besides," she then frowned and looked down, "what boy in their right mind would ever love me? Me, who's not only supposed to be the most evil of all fairytales, but also an anarchistic troublemaker?"

"I wouldn't be so eager to give up on love," said Cupid, "even the worst of villains deserve a chance to be happy," she then looked two tables over, where Dexter was eating while doing his best to ignore Daring, who was boasting to his friends. Dexter caught Cupid's eye, blushed slightly and gave a small smile.

Despite her initial crush on him, upon hearing of Dexter's feelings for Raven, Cupid vowed to help him express said feelings to Raven and to help Raven reciprocate them, assuming Cupid could get Raven's heart out of the doldrums and her head out of the sand.

"Thanks," said Raven, "but I really don't have time for a boyfriend," she looked at Apple, "where as your boyfriend and future husband, he's already picked out."

"Just because Daring's the one to wake me up," said Apple, "doesn't mean we're already married. We're all still young and have plenty of time to enjoy."

"Speaking of time," said Briar as she looked at her watch, "Apple, I'm going to have to cut our lunch date short. I've got rock-climbing and Pilates this afternoon, not to mention I've got to plan my activities for the next three months."

"But we scheduled this afternoon for ourselves weeks ago," said Apple in a disappointed tone, "today's a half day and we were supposed to have lunch at that new café in town and shop until dinner."

"We can still do lunch," said Briar, "but I finally have that cute rock climbing instructor all to myself today."

"Least you'll be having fun," said Blondie, "I've got a paper to finish up by Monday."

"Me too," said Cerise

"I've got to talk with an advertising firm," said Ashlynn, "then call my accountant and stockbroker. I'm telling you girls, owning your own business isn't all gala's and giggles."

"And no doubt Daring will be occupied," said Apple as she looked at her destined true love, whom was one again admiring his reflection, while dazzling his onlookers with his too bright teeth.

Apple sighed, then looked at Raven, "you don't have anything planned for this afternoon, do you?"

"I was hoping for some time to study my spell books some more," said Raven, "wait…oh no!"

"Oh yes!" said Apple eagerly, "you and me, Raven, we're lunching at the new café and spend the rest of the afternoon shopping!"

At that Briar, Ashlynn and Blondie, whom were all drinking either juice, milk or coffee, spat their drinks out with surprise.

"Are you nuts!?" Blondie exclaimed as she, Briar and Ashlynn hastily cleaned up their messed faces and clothes, "you want to hang out with Raven? After what she did!?"

"Why shouldn't she?" Maddie asked in between tea sips, "when the lion and the unicorn fight for the crown, how may keys to open the unlockable door?"

"In English, would you mind?" Briar asked in an annoyed tone.

"I meant that if Apple wants to hang out with her friend, then what's to stop her?" said Maddie.

"Are we even still friends?" Raven asked Apple.

At that Apple closed her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking, "I'm still mad at you for what you did, and I hope that someday, hopefully before it's too late, you'll come around and realize that we belong to the same story," she then opened her eyes and looked at Raven, "but for now, I'm willing to try and patch up our friendship, and I'll start by inviting you to lunch and an afternoon of shopping."

"That's the spirit!" said Maddie, "we can make it a tea party! Crumpets for all!"

"I really don't think this is a good idea," said Raven, "I mean, Apple, you're okay with us hanging out, and I'm guessing Briar's okay with it, and Maddie too, of course."

"Naturally," said Maddie as she poured a cupful from her faithful teapot.

"Wish I felt as optimistic as you," said Raven in a slightly depressed tone.

"Oh, don't be so glum," said Apple, "we're going to have a lovely afternoon."

"Aren't you worried about what everyone will think when they see us together?" Raven asked, "you and me, who are supposed to be mortal enemies and considering what happened on Legacy Day, I might as well be Public Enemy Number One."

"If they want to think such irrational foolishness, let them," said Apple, "as for the two of us, all things considered, friendship comes first."

"Friendship comes first," said Raven as she smiled, "I kinda like that."

* * *

Breakfast and the rest of the morning passed without incident for Raven and the others and as planned, school let out early that day. Raven, Maddie, Apple and Briar went into town and got a table at the new café, The Inkwell, where they ordered coffee and sandwiches.

"So, what did Headmaster Grimm say about the stonework on the tower?" Raven asked Apple.

"He said he'd look into it," said Apple, "that was the morning after the meteor shower and he's done nothing that I am aware of."

"That doesn't make sense," said Briar as the waiter brought over their coffee, "he's in charge of the school. You'd think he'd be anxious to have any and all repair work done as soon as possible, especially when it concerns the safety of the students."

"Yes, well," said Apple, "I'm sure he has his reasons. I'll ask him again on Monday," she then smiled eagerly, "but this afternoon is for our enjoyment," she then looked at Raven, "now, as soon as we are finish with our lunch, we will meander through the shopping district and do what girls do best."

"Waste money on useless accessories and outfits that we'll probably wear once before leaving them in the closet to gather dust?" Raven asked. She then sipped her coffee and gave a smile of surprised delight, "you know, this is really great coffee."

"And this tea is phantasmagorical!" said an amazed Maddie, "it shifts flavors from lemon to raspberry to green to black and…and…" she sipped again, "there's so many flavors I can't keep up with them!"

"I'm glad you enjoy it," said Apple, "and yes, we will peruse through the many boutiques of this fair town and buy many things, and not all accessories are useless."

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Raven asked, "I really don't need to go shopping."

"But I insist," said Apple, "everyone needs to know that I'm alright with you being my friend and that, for the moment, you bear no ill will towards me."

"Too bad there are others whom feel the opposite, princess," said an unpleasant male voice. Apple, Raven, Maddie and Briar looked and saw the tall man in the black business suit had occupied a fifth chair at the table, sipping his own cup of coffee. "While you may be the fairest of them all, there are those whom see you as an obstacle to be removed."

"That's a rather…harsh assessment," said Apple in a confused and moderately offended tone.

"Uh, who are you?" Raven asked cautiously, while Briar sat in silent bewilderment and Maddie looked at the stranger with a slightly fearful expression. "And why do you hate Apple so much? I thought that was my destiny?"

"Your destiny lies elsewhere, Raven Queen," said the man in the black business suit, "or should I call you 'Nightdancer?'"

At that Raven blinked in shock, "what? What?! How did you know that!?"

"'Nightdancer?'" Briar asked. She looked at Maddie, whom shrugged in confusion, all the while still looking at the stranger with fearful eyes.

"It's what Ophelia called me," said Raven in a slightly unsteady tone, "one of my father's retainers. Ophelia was pretty much a second mother. Nightdancer, it's a nickname she gave me when I was very young. But she's the only one who called me that!" she then stood up and pointed an accusing finger at the man in the black business suit, "how did you know she called me that!?" she exclaimed wrathfully while her finger sparked with purple magic, "what have you done to Ophelia!?"

"Absolutely nothing," said the man in the black suit as he held his hands up in a placating manner, "none of your retainers have been harmed, but my employers and I have been keeping an eye on you for some time." He then took a business card out from his pocket and placed it in the middle of the table.

Briar took the card and read it, "'Cuthbert L Snyder, Attorney at Lawlessness.'" she then looked at the man, Cuthbert L. Snyder, "'Attorney at Lawlessness?' What does that mean?"

"It means that my employers and I are into villainy," said Cuthbert as he smiled viciously as he took out two more business cards. The first had the letters O. C. in bold black ink, while the second had an embalm of a red, double-headed eagle with the letters DCD.

"My employers," said Cuthbert, "The Obsidian Council, and our allies, Dai-Shocker."

"NO!" exclaimed a terrified and outraged Maddie, "not Dai-Shocker!"

"Oh, you've heard of us, Ms. Hatter," said Cuthbert in a matter of fact tone, "good, it will help explain things."

"Maddie!" exclaimed Raven, "what's going on? What do you know about this bozo?"

"I know enough to be afraid of him," said Maddie as she poured more tea into her cup, her hands shaking slightly and she spilled some of the tea on the table, "be afraid, be very afraid."

Kitty flashed in next to Maddie, while Lizzie stepped out from behind a lamppost, "we've been waiting for something like this ever since the eclipse and meteor shower," said Lizzie, "all of us Wonderlanders, we sensed that something terrible was coming," she then held up the Ace of Spades card, "that death was approaching."

"But this," said Kitty in a grave tone, "this is worse than anything we could have imagined."

"Not in a thousands Sundays could we have anticipated Dai-Shocker," said Lizzie.

"Okay, we've established that Dai-Shocker is bad," said Raven.

"They're worse than bad, Raven," said Dexter as he, Daring and several of Daring's fellow princes and heroes, walked up to the group all armed with swords, "they're the worse of the worse. Dai-Shocker is an amalgamation of various villainous groups and tribes of monsters from across reality, gathered together with one purpose in mind; the conquest of all worlds throughout time and space."

"Well informed, Dexter Charming," said Cuthbert.

"Okay, but who's The Obsidian Council?" Raven asked. "And how did you guys know about this?"

"Our friends from Wonderland asked us to stand by for trouble," said Daring, "naturally as princes and heroes, we're all ready to act at the instant of any trouble," he then smiled, flashing his all too white teeth.

"But why would this Obsidian Council have issues with me?" Apple asked as she stood up, her eyes steeled against the wicked humor in Cuthbert's eyes.

"Oh, our issues with you are quite serious, Ms. White," said Cuthbert as he stood up and straightened his tie, "not personal issues, of course. No, this is not personal, but strictly business."

"Then what business does The Obsidian Council have with me?" Apple asked.

"Merely that your light be snuffed out," said Cuthbert, "my employers have plans for this most fantastic world of yours, Ms. White. This world, the source of all fairytales. Yes, we have big, big plans for this world. But you are not part of those plans, rather, you must be taken care of before our plans can truly begin. Therefore, it is essential that your light be snuffed out."

"In other words, The Obsidian Council wants me dead," said Apple in a calm, controlled tone.

"Indubitably," said Cuthbert, "and I've come a long way to ensure that the job gets done."

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed!" said Briar boldly, "Apple's destined to be the rightful queen of the kingdom. Her happily ever after is all but ensured! I don't know about this Obsidian Council or Dai-Shocker, but if they, and you for that matter, if you all think you can just walk into our world and say you're going to kill the daughter of Snow White, you've got another thing coming, mister!"

"And Raven's destined to make sure that Apple achieves her destiny," said Daring.

At that something inside Raven snapped. She then glared wrathfully at Daring, "will you shut the hell up about destiny!?" she then shouted to everyone, "all of you! Stop this crap with destiny! It's all I seem to be hearing at school! Destiny this and fate that! I'm sick and tired of everyone telling me that I have no control over my life. Well, I do have control over my life! I made my choice when I ripped my page out of The Storybook of Legends and I'll stand by that decision to the living end!"

"Ah, but what you fail to realize, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert, "is that you truly have no control over your life. You have a destiny greater than anything this world could offer."

"Oh really?" Raven asked, "and what's that?"

"I'm afraid that I'm not authorized to disclose that information," said Cuthbert, "but all will be revealed once you take leave of this world and come to mine," he held out his hand, "come with me, Nightdancer. There's nothing for you except for a future of scorn and repulsion from everyone around you."

"But she can't leave!" said Briar, "Raven has to poison Apple!"

"How can she poison Ms. White if she isn't here?" Cuthbert asked, "and honestly, do you think a girl with her potential in the dark arts would be satisfied with just playing a role in a story? That she wouldn't hesitate to invade and conquer other stories like her dear mother?"

"She wouldn't do that!" exclaimed Apple, "Raven isn't as wicked as her mother was!"

"She's certainly no megalomaniac," said Daring, "I'll give her that much."

But Raven remembered what The Storybook of Legends showed her, on how she would become the villain to end all villains, how she would invade other fairytale realms and take over, surpassing her mother in sheer villainy, but worst of all, becoming a creature with only hate, vanity and anger in her heart, with not even a speck of love.

"You'd be surprised what I'm capable," said Raven in a depressed tone, "surprised and afraid, just like I am."

"Don't listen to him, Raven!" Dexter shouted, "he's evil! More evil than your mother!"

"The old Evil Queen is but a fly in the ointment compared to what Raven will accomplish when she accepts her true destiny," said Cuthbert as he looked at Raven, "and it will be yours, Nightdancer, if you come with me," he held out his hand, "well?"

At that Raven irately crossed her arms and glared at Cuthbert, "go back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of. And tell The Obsidian Council and Dai-Shocker that they can go to hell too!"

"You go, Raven!" cheered Maddie.

"As you can see, Mr. Snyder," said Apple as she smiled confident, "we fairytale characters aren't partial to being intimidated by bullies. So, while you still can, leave our world and never return."

At that Cuthbert smiled viciously, "I was hoping you'd make this difficult, Ms. White. While it's not personal for The Obsidian Council, I, on the other hand, am going to enjoy watching you suffer before you die."

Just then there was a shriek of terror from down the street. Raven and the others looked and saw over a dozen creatures that seemed to have crawled out of a nightmare. They were green, lurching bipedal insects with armored shells and two long claws on the right limb. The creatures moved with a shuffling malice, emitting croaking clicks in an utterly inhumane tone, adding to the creature's overall appearance of having no regard for innocent life.

"What…what are those things!?" a horrified Briar asked.

"Worms," said Cuthbert smugly as the creatures shuffled towards Raven, Apple and the others, "quite ruthless, aren't they?"

"That doesn't explain what they are," said Raven.

"I'll tell you what they are," said Daring as he brandished his sword, "they're history! Come on, guys!" he said to his fellow heroes and princes, "let's show these bug things that they're not welcome on our world!" At that the boys shouted with righteous fury and they, lead by Daring, rushed at the Worms.

"Wait! Don't!" shouted Dexter, but his warning came too late. Before the various heroes and princes could even swing a sword, the shuffling creatures attacked first, disarming the boys with their claws and knocking them out with one hit strikes. Within seconds, only Daring was still standing.

"I…I…" he stammered as six Worms surrounded him.

"I'd quit while you're still conscious, Mr. Charming," said Cuthbert, "but that's my opinion."

"No!" Daring shouted, "I won't abandon Apple to you and your horrible minions!"

"Oh, they're not my minions," said Cuthbert, "nor are they the minions of The Obsidian Council. No, The Worms, specifically these Worms and the others already on this world are the property of Dai-Shocker. It's complicated and I won't bore you with the details. Regardless, you're outmatched, kido, so I'll say it again; quit while you're still conscious."

"Just get out of there, Daring!" said Apple, "I don't want you or anyone else getting hurt for me!"

"I won't let them kill you!" said Daring again. He then rushed at one of the Worms, but was disarmed and knocked unconscious before he took two steps.

"Well, you got points for trying, kido," said Cuthbert, he then looked at Apple, "it seems that your would-be protectors aren't as heroic as they see themselves," he then looked at Dexter, "unless you want to try and emulate your brother."

At that Dexter dropped his sword, but instead of walking away, he walked towards Apple, Raven, Maddie and Briar, "I'm not trying to be a hero, but I'm not going to run for it either. If you want to hurt Apple and abduct Raven, you'll have to go through me first!"

"Don't forget us!" said Maddie boldly, while Kitty and Lizzie, also stood in front of Apple and the others, "why run when you can fight? And as the Walrus said to the Carpenter; 'The Time Has Come!'"

"Indeed it has," said Cuthbert. He then looked at the Worms, "kill Apple and bring me Raven. The others…have your way with them, but don't kill all of them. The Obsidian Council still has need of these individuals."

"What does the Obsidian Council want with us?" Lizzie asked as the Worms closed in on her and the others, "I demand that you tell me the truth! Least I take your head!"

"You'll have other things to worry about if you don't stand aside," said Cuthbert, "now do the intelligent thing and allow me to complete my task."

"Now, there's a thought to ponder over," said Kitty, "your idea of the intelligent thing would be for us to let you get away with the murder of one of our friends and the abduction of another."

"While you're also guilty of aggravated assault," said Lizzie.

"While the foolish thing," Kitty continued, "would be to stand and fight." she then looked at her fellow students and grinned, "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling rather foolish."

"After all," said Maddie, "we Wonderlanders, we're crazy!" with that she took off her had and tossed it into the air. As the hat tumbled in midair, there was a flash and the had became a wide metal disk with a razor edge. Maddie caught the dist and threw it at one of the Worms. It hit the creature in the torso, inflicting a long cut that produced a small shower of sparks. The disk returned to her hand like a boomerang and Maddie threw it at another Worm.

Kitty vanished with a sparkly flash as Lizzie pulled out a fresh pack of cards, drew out the Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of Hearts and threw the cards at another of the Worms, the cards embedding themselves in the creature's torso and produced sparks. "there's a Royal Flush for you!" shouted Lizzie.

Kitty then appeared behind a third Worm. Her nails sharpened into claws and with a feline yowl of righteous fury, delivered a double scratching slash that produced sparks from the creature's back.

But then one of the creatures rushed at Raven. She raised her hands to cast a spell, when Dexter got in front and tackled the Worm, surprising everyone by pushing the monstrosity back a few paces.

"Dexter!" said Raven as she lowered her hands, "you…you're strong?"

"Swords were never really my thing!" said Dexter as he struggled to hold the Worm back, but two more got past him. They faced off against Raven, while the another Worm attempted to grab Briar from behind

"Oh no you don't!" exclaimed Briar as the creature tried to ensnare her with its arms. She slammed her left elbow into its midsection, shoved her right heel into its left foot, grabbed it by the arms and flipped it onto its back, "I am woman!" said Briar triumphantly, "hear me roar!"

"Briar," said a highly confused and impressed Apple, "when did you…"

"I've been taking self-defense courses since I was seven," said Briar as she kicked the downed Worm, "my mom insisted I learned how to take care of myself. Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I have to be completely helpless."

"That's actually a good idea," said Apple.

"We'll sign you up for karate or something when we're not all in immediate danger!" said Raven as the two Worms facing her closed in. She then finished her spell, creating two spheres of dark purple magic. Raven threw it at one of the Worms, hitting the creature and causing it to explode in a green fireball. She then teleported out of the way of the other Worm, appearing behind the creature and throwing the other dark purple sphere at it, causing the Worm to explode.

"Wow, your dark magic really is working now," said an impressed Briar.

"Hey, it is," said an astonished Raven as she looked at her hands with wonder, "but why now? I'll have to figure it out later."

"All the secrets to your powers will be revealed once you are with The Obsidian Council," said Cuthbert, "all the answers you've ever sought, your every desire, all will be given if you come with me, Nightdancer."

"Stop calling me that, you creep!" shouted Raven as she created another dark purple sphere and threw it at Cuthbert. The man in the business suit merely raised his hand and stopped the sphere before it hit him. He waved his hand and the sphere vanished.

"My abilities far eclipse yours at your present level, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert, "shall I demonstrate further?" he then looked at Dexter, whom had managed to lift one of the Worms over his head and threw it at two more, causing all three to fall to the ground.

"Ah, that one will do," said Cuthbert. He then aimed his hand at Dexter and without warning, blasted Dexter off his feet with a pulse of psychic energy, slamming Dexter into a nearby tree. He fell to the ground and didn't get back up again.

"No!" shouted Raven in an outraged tone. She then glared at Cuthbert, "why did you do that?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," said Cuthbert, "I thought he was your boyfriend. But apparently he was just a friend, my mistake. Now, about your other friends," he then held up his hand and more Worms appeared.

"Oh, Bread and Butter!" exclaimed Maddie as she and Lizzie fought back to back, with the former tossing her disk and the latter her cards, "how many of these things are there?"

"Too many for my taste!" said Lizzie as she threw the 3, 4 and 5 of Diamonds at a Worm. The cards embedded themselves in its shell and exploded like grenades, causing the creature to detonate in a green fireball.

But then the Worm that Kitty was currently facing began to shudder and its shell melted off, revealing a much more streamline bipedal creature that resembled a blue and indigo spider.

"Uh, yuck much!?" exclaimed Kitty. She then vanished. But then the spider Worm also vanished. It appeared a few yards away and grabbed Kitty by the throat just as she reappeared. The creature then tossed Kitty into the air and delivered several rapid fire punches before she hit the ground unconscious.

"You son of a banshee!" exclaimed Raven after she blasted another Worm, "why are you doing this!"

"Because I'm a villain," said Cuthbert, "obviously," he then looked at the spider creature, "you'll find that this 'Molted' Worm is much stronger and faster than its Salis-stage compatriots."

As if in response, the spider creature vanished again, reappearing next to Maddie and Lizzie and delivered multiple claw slashes that left them on the ground, bleeding from cuts on their arms, legs and midsections.

"You and Ms. White are running out of defenders, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert, "save yourself and your friends from further torment and give yourself up."

"Run for it, Raven!" Apple shouted, "don't give yourself up to this degenerate!"

"And what about you?" Raven asked, "you gonna let him kill you?"

"I'm not!" said Apple, "I have a few surprises up my sleeves."

"As do I," said Briar.

"I'm…not finished yet…either!" said Maddie as she got back up and limped over to Apple, Briar and Raven, "though I feel a bit more discombobulated than normal."

"When you really start being normal, that's when I get scared," said Raven.

"Thanks, Raven," said Maddie, "and you know what, despite the threat of imminent death or worse from otherworldly abominations and the threat of you being kidnapped, I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Maddie," said Raven, "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad that you all are glad," said Briar.

"Yes, we're all glad," said Apple.

"This is getting tedious," said Cuthbert in an annoyed tone. He then looked at the Spider Worm, "finish it."

The Spider Worm then vanished. Acting on instinct, Raven cast a spell and accelerated herself into Hyper Time. Reality slowed to a crawl and everything appeared brighter and slightly out of focus, while a rising and falling resonation could be heard.

Raven then saw the Spider Worm running towards her helplessly time-slowed friends. Getting in front of Apple, Briar and Maddie, Raven cast and threw a dark purple sphere at the creature. The Spider Worm endured the impact of the sphere, shrugging it off and rushing at Raven, swatting her aside with one of its clawed limbs.

The spell broke and reality unfroze as Raven was flung through the air, crashing into one of the glass windows of the café.

"Raven!" shouted Maddie, only for her to be thrown aside by the Spider Worm, followed by Briar.

"You're all alone, princess," said Cuthbert cruelly as the Spider Worm advanced on Apple, "all your protectors have been defeated and no further help will reach you in time. So be a good little human and die already."

"If I'm human," said Apple in a trembling tone, her fear beginning to break through her control as the arachnid abomination closed in for the kill, "then what are you?"

"I am so much more than you can imagine," said Cuthbert, "now die!" With that the Spider raised its claws to strike Apple down.

But then from out of nowhere, a man on a motorcycle, wearing a red helmet, a denim jacket, blue jeans and boots, rode in, startling Apple, Cuthbert and the Spider Worm. The one on the motorcycle drove straight at the creature, striking it with the front wheel of the bike and sending the Spider Worm hurtling through the air.

The rider turned off the engine and looked at the still startled Apple. He got off the bike, took off his helmet and looked at Apple. He was about 17, tall with short, sandy blond hair and light brown eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he walked up to Apple.

"I…uh…" said a highly confused Apple, yet the future monarch quickly regained her regal composure and politely addressed the stranger, "yes, I am quite well, good sir, and thank you. May I know the name of the gallant young man whom saved the life of Apple White?"

"You may, my lady," said the boy, "Avery Manning," he then bowed with a slight flourish of his hands, "at your service."

"Oh for crying out loud, do you have to do that?" said an annoyed girl's voice. There off to the left were six teenagers. The first was a girl, about 16 with shoulder length chestnut brown hair, one eye green, the other blue and wore a green shirt with a brown jacket, blue denim skirt, bluish green stockings and shoes. She had a mischievous aura about her, with a smile that said she enjoyed a good time and wanted others to laugh along with her.

The second was a boy, about 19, tall with short brown hair, dark brown eyes and wore a long-sleeved green shirt, camouflage jeans and tennis shoes. He had a serious expression on his face, very businesslike and was one whom hated to waste time.

The third was a girl, about 17 with long black hair, yellowish green eyes and wore a black top with gray and black jeans, jacket and shoes. She had another serious expression, only this one had a hint of anger about it, like something was irritating her in the back of her mind.

The fourth was a boy, about 17, medium height, short black hair, gray eyes and wore a yellow shirt with blue pants and shoes. He was very calm, very laid back and easygoing, yet bored, as if the chaos around him was the norm for him and it was all said and done for him.

The fifth was a girl, around 15 years with long, black hair with yellow and blue highlights, blue eyes behind glasses and wore orange and purple top and skirt with green shoes. She looked around with an awed yet inquisitive expression, eager to learn everything she could about her surroundings.

The sixth was a boy around 18 with very short blond hair, greenish brown eyes and wore a brown shirt with jacket, pants and shoes. He had a shy appearance about him with kind yet passionate eyes.

It was the girl with long black hair and yellowish green eyes whom spoke, "seriously, man? Are you going to be all 'knight in shining armor?'"

"Why not?" Avery Manning asked, "we are in a world where fairytales are real people."

"I take it you aren't from this world," said Raven as she extracted herself from the pile of rubble, apparently none worse for wear

"No, we're not," said the girl with chestnut brown hair, "I'm Madison Broody," she then indicated the boy with short brown hair, "that's Jeffrey Westing."

"Yo," said Jeffrey Westing, "is this going to take much longer?"

"Introductions first," said Madison, "we're here to help these people and they have a right to know who we are," she then looked at Apple and Raven, "unless you'd prefer that we'd be anonymous alien heroes." She then laughed, "just kidding. Anyway," she then indicated the girl with yellowish green eyes, "that's Clarity Lawson, but she likes to be called Clare."

"Let's get this straight, princess," said Clarity Lawson, Clare, in a serious and slightly annoyed tone, "I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to chew bubblegum and kick evil ass," she then took out a stick of gum and began chewing on it, "and I've only a limited supply of bubblegum on me."

"Hey, we've got bubblegum," said Dexter as he picked himself up, also none the worse for wear

"Not the flavor I like," said Clare, "to make a long story short," she then pointed a the boy with gray eyes, "that's Tobias Kosgrove," then at the girl with black hair with blue and yellow highlights, "Dorothea Fairchild," and finally the boy with greenish brown eyes, "and Connor St. John."

"Okay, we know who you are," said Raven, "but, seriously, who are you people?"

"Are you alright, Raven?" Dexter asked as he hurried over to her.

"I think I twisted my ankle," said Raven as she limped over to Maddie and helped her up, while Apple helped Briar, "you okay?"

"I'm a little sore but I can still fight," said Dexter.

"Wish I could say the same," said Maddie in a slightly disoriented tone, "I feel like I've been wrung through a herd of butterflies."

"There's no such thing as a herd of butterflies," said Briar, "and there's no way they can hurt you."

"Have you seen the butterflies in Wonderland?" Maddie asked.

"Well, this is surely a fine kettle of corn we're in," said Clare as she irately crossed her arms. She then looked at Avery, "are you sure we're in the right universe?"

"Positive," said Avery.

"But why are you here?" Apple asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Madison asked, "we're here to stamp out The Worms."

"And to defeat this vile sack of pig vomit," said Tobias Kosgrove as he pointed at Cuthbert.

"Is that so?" Cuthbert asked, "and what, pray tell, makes you meddling brats think you can stop me?"

Avery them pointed up to the sun, "my grandmother once told me, 'in the absence of light, darkness prevails. But so long as there are those whom fight to protect the light, it will never go out!'"

"What the hell does that mean?" Cuthbert asked.

"Don't ask me," said Dorothea Fairchild, "I just met the guy."

"We're kind of a new consortium of heroes," said Connor St. John, "long story."

At that Cuthbert glared hatefully at Avery and the others, "well, I'm sorry, but your story is about to come to an abrupt end."

"No, it's just beginning," said Avery, "just as the stories of Apple White, Raven Queen and their fellow characters, their stories have only just begin."

"Then I'll ask again!" said Cuthbert, "what makes you think you can stop me? What could possibly convince you that you can defy the will of The Obsidian Council!? Do you honestly think you stand a chance against the might of Dai-Shocker!?"

"Yes," said Avery with righteous indignation, "and I'll tell you why! Because my friends and I…we are the chosen ones!" He then held up his right hand, just as a small portal appeared in the air above him. From the portal emerged a small metal object shaped like a red Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle. The metal beetle flew down and into Avery's hand, while a steel-gray belt with a black buckle appeared around his waist.

"Figured you'd get your Zecter first," said Clare in an annoyed tone.

"We'll all get ours in due time," said Jeffrey Westing as took out a gold pocket watch and checked the time, "we just have to be patient."

"But now is Avery's time," said Tobias.

"Henshin!" said Avery. He then slid the red beetle into a slot on his belt buckle, clicking into place.

**HENSHIN**

The red beetle emitted a flash of yellow light and a wave of green energy with a hexagon pattern spread over Avery's body, in its wake materialized a suit of armor that resembled a heavily fortified pupae. The armor was gray, black and red, while the helmet had a pair of short antenna and blue, segmented eye visors.

"Whoa!" said an awed Apple, while Raven and the others looked on with amazed eyes.

"No!" exclaimed an outraged and slightly afraid Cuthbert, while the Spider Worm and lesser Worms backed away a few paces in fear, "not! It can't be! You…you can't!"

"Yes I am!" said Avery, his voice reverberating slightly from within the armor, "Kamen Rider…Kabuto!"

"Kabuto," said Apple in an astonished tone.

"You bastard!" shouted Cuthbert. He then gestured to several lesser Worms, "eradicate him!" with that the lesser Worms shuffled towards Kabuto, whom drew out from nowhere a blaster with axe-like features, such as the barrel had a grip and the handle had an axe blade.

Kabuto then aimed and fired his blaster at two Worms, the laser blasts hitting the creatures and they self destructed in blazes of green fire.

Four more Worms rushed towards Kabuto, whom changed grips on his axe-blaster, now holding it in its axe mode. He then hacked at one Worm, hitting it in the torso with enough force to make it stagger back and explode, then slammed the axe into the head of the second worm, then flipped the weapon back into its blaster mode and shot the third and fourth worm, which promptly exploded.

But then more Worms shuffled into the area. Kabuto faced the oncoming abominations calmly. He then flicked up the 'Horn' of his beetle Zector. Blue energy arched across his armor as the individual segments of said armor, the leg and arm guards, chest and back plates, the helmet, expanded from each other by a few millimeters.

"Cast Off!" said Kabuto as he pushed the Horn on his Zector all the way so it was all the way on the metal beetle's back, while the head segment of the Zector popped forward a few centimeters.

**CAST OFF**

The separated armor segments then blasted off of Kabuto's body, exposing a sleeker red armor more suited for speed, agility and maneuverability. The armor segments then slammed into several Worms and caused them to explode.

A large red beetle horn then rose up from the bottom of Kabuto's helmet, clicking into place, giving him the appearance of a red Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle.

**CHANGE: BEETLE**

Half a dozen more Worms rushed at Kabuto, whom then took off the pistol grip and axe blade of his blaster, shifting the weapon into a sword mode. He slashed at two of the Worms, then stabbed the other four, destroying them.

Hissing with vile fury, the Spider Worm then accelerated, vanishing from normal sight.

"Clock Up!" said Kabuto as he pressed a button on the side of his belt.

**CLOCK UP**

Reality in the area froze as Kabuto accelerated into Hyper Time as he ran towards the now visible Spider Worm. He and the creature met with a clash of punches and kicks, with Kabuto blocking all of the creature's attacks and he inflicting hits of his own, eventually delivering a punch that knocked the Spider Worm down, sending it back to normal time.

**CLOCK OVER**

Kabuto also returned to normal time and faced the Spider Worm as it got back up. He then pressed a triple series of buttons on his Zector.

_**ONE**_

_**TWO**_

_**THREE**_

Kabuto then flicked the horn on his Zector back to its original position, pushing the head back into place. "Rider Kick!" he said as he flipped the horn back open. Blue energy began arcing from the Zector up his armor to his helmet horn.

**RIDER KICK**

The spider Worm rushed at Kabuto as the energy arced down Kabuto's armor, reaching his right leg as Kabuto swung a roundhouse kick at the creature. The leg connected with the Spider Worm's head and the creature was knocked back down, exploding in a flash of blue fire.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Raven as she, Apple, Briar, Maddie and Dexter shielded their eyes from the explosion. When the smoke from the blast cleared, they saw Kabuto standing boldly, his right index finger pointing up at the sun.

"Well, this was unfortunate," said Cuthbert irately.

"If I were you," said Kabuto to Cuthbert, "I'd leave this world and never return."

"Thank the darkness I'm not you," said Cuthbert as he glared hatefully at Kabuto, "you filthy Kamen Rider! You and your fellow Riders, you're always getting in the way of the glory of Dai-Shocker! But not this time! This time you face the power of The Obsidian Council, and believe me when I say that this time, you will lose!"

Cuthbert then glared at Apple and Raven, "enjoy this respite while you can, ladies! Our next encounter won't be so pleasant for you and your friends. One way or another, Apple White, you will die! And you, Raven Queen, Nightdancer, you will come with me to The Obsidian Council and your true destiny will be fulfilled!" With that, he stepped back into a shimmering gray door that appeared, vanishing as the door also vanished.

"Ugg! What a jerk!" said Briar as she looked around at the aftermath of the battle, "if this was his idea of pleasant, I do not want to know his idea of pain."

"At least no one was seriously hurt," said Apple as she checked on Daring and his friends, "they'll be alright, just a few bumps on the head. A checkup at the hospital and a goodnight's rest and they'll be right as rain again."

"I wish I could say the same thing about the rest of us," said Raven. She then looked around, "hey, where did that Kabuto guy go?"

"He's gone!" said a surprised Briar as she also looked around, "as are Madison and the others."

"Well, that's rude of them," said Maddie as she recovered her throwing disk and changed it back into her hat, "leaving us without so much as a by your leave," she then pulled out her teapot and cup, "wouldn't you agree, Earl Gray?" at that her pet dormouse nodded in agreement.

"They sure were strange people," said Dexter, "but still cool, especially that Avery guy."

"Avery Manning," said Apple in an intrigued tone, "Kamen Rider Kabuto. Who are you?"

"He is clearly the one best suited to handle this crisis," said Lizzie as she and Kitty got back up, "our own abilities are effective against The Worm when facing limited numbers of them."

"But if they come at us again," said Raven, "we'll be in trouble."

"But…we won!" said Dexter as Daring slowly regained consciousness, with the former helping the latter get back to his feet, "Kabuto destroyed that spider creature."

"Who destroyed what now?" Daring asked in a groggy tone, "is it over already?"

"_Is_ it over?" Lizzie asked in a deadly serious tone, "did you honestly think that the creatures we've seen where all that Cuthbert L. Snyder has at his disposal. No, he has far too many cards left to play," she then began shuffling her deck again, "is it over? No, it is not. This is only the first round of a much larger and potentially deadly game."

"Oh, Snakes and Ladders!" exclaimed a shocked Maddie, "Raven! You're bleeding!"

"What!?" exclaimed Raven she then looked down and saw blood trickling down her left leg. A closer inspecting revealed a shard of glass was embedded in her thigh.

"Oh, my stars and roses!" exclaimed Briar.

"I…I didn't even know I was hurt," said a startled Raven as she looked down at the glass shard in her leg, then at the blood trickle, then at the glass shard again.

"It must have happened when you were thrown through the window," said Apple as she and Dexter hurried over to Raven.

"I don't even feel it," said Raven. But then the rush of adrenaline from the battle wore off and she grimaced in pain, "oh, wait, now I feel it! Ow! Ow! OW!" at that Raven nearly lost her balance and fell.

"It's okay, I got you!" said Dexter as he caught Raven and he eased her down to a sitting position.

"I'm calling the hospital!" said Apple as she pulled out her phone, "they'll send paramedics. In the mean time, don't touch that shard, Raven."

"What do you mean, don't touch it!?" exclaimed Raven, "get it out!"

"Can't you use your magic to remove the shard and heal the cut?" Briar asked.

"They wouldn't let me study healing magic!" exclaimed Raven, "my mother forbade it! Oh gosh! It hurts! It freaking hurts! Get It Out! GET IT OUT!"

"Oh, don't be such a baby," said Kitty as she walked over and knelt down beside Raven, "it's just a itty bitty splinter. Here, you want it out? Fine, I'll pull it out."

"No! Don't!" exclaimed Apple, but Kitty had already gripped the glass shard with her claws and pulled it out and earning a yelp of pain from Raven. The shard was longer than thought, being over an inch in length. Instantly, blood spurt from the cut, splashing Kitty in her eyes. She yowled in surprise and disgust as she blindly staggered away, pawing at her blood-soaked eyes.

Meanwhile, more blood was spurting out from Raven's cut thigh at a disturbingly fast rate.

"Uh…that doesn't look good," said a very worried and slightly nauseated Dexter.

"Darn right it isn't good!" snapped Apple as she began tearing strips from her dress, "her Femoral Artery was cut!" She then began tying the strips around Raven's thigh, some of them over the cut, the others at a pressure point, "If we don't stop the bleeding now she'll be dead in minutes!"

"Apple…I…" said Raven in a groggy tone as her eyes began to flutter, her head swaying back and forth dizzily, "I…don't feel good. I feel so…so cold."

"It's the drop in blood pressure," said Apple as she finished tying the makeshift tourniquet and bandage, "you're going into shock. Just hold on, Raven, the paramedics are coming!"

"I…Apple…I…" said Raven in a distant tone barely above a whisper before passing out.

"Raven!" exclaimed Apple, "stay with me, Raven!" she then looked at her fellow characters, whom were looking at Apple, shocked at her torn dress and blood covered hands, "don't just stand there! Help me!"

…_The End Is Just The Beginning…_


	3. Chapter 2: Nightmares and Ice Cream

**Chapter 2: Nightmares and Ice Cream**

Raven found herself walking across a sunlit pasture towards a bright and beautiful house; three stories tall with wide windows. The house had two large gardens, one for vegetables, the other for flowers. A wide lane lead from the house into a small patch of woods not too far in the distance.

She then saw several children playing in the yard, about four boys and five girl, all of them different ages. Raven then saw an older girl with long, wavy purple and maroon hair, helping a woman whom was clearly the mother of the children. The older girl was helping her mother with a line of laundry. Raven then realized to her surprise and delight that the mother was her, albeit several years older, and judging by the bright smile on older Raven's face, she was clearly happy.

"Am I dreaming?" Raven asked aloud, though none of the children or her older self could hear her, "or is this a vision of the future?" Regardless of the source of what she was seeing, Raven was just as happy as her older self.

But then Raven saw one of the children pointing down the lane. The sun was in Raven's eyes from where she was standing, but she could make out a tall man walking towards the house. The appearance of the man caused a joyful excitement among the children, while older Raven looked on with infinite love. Raven guessed that the man was the father of the children and her future husband.

Raven saw her older self race to meet her husband, while the man hurried to meet his wife. The two met in the middle of the yard, embraced and kissed, only then to be tackled by the children. Raven then hurried to get a closer look to see who this man is, this man whom will become such a major part of her life.

But just before Raven could get close enough to see the face of her future husband, the joyful vision before her burned away, as if someone had tossed a match onto a canvas and it was reduced to ashes within seconds, leaving Raven alone in darkness.

Before Raven could react to this sudden darkness, she could see again, only now she wished she was blind. The dream-like scene she had just witnessed had turned into a living nightmare.

She was standing on top of a wall of a menacing castle atop a treacherous peak. Lightning flashed from a heavily overcast sky above, followed by rolling thunder.

The castle had an enormous courtyard that was filled with tens of thousands of individuals. At first glance the people were all men and women, but as she looked harder, Raven saw that only about a third were humans, whom were wearing black uniforms. The others in the courtyard were monstrous creatures; orcs, ogres, goblins and hobgoblins, dark magic users of both sexes and different races, a handful of vampires and dozens of other species of monsters that Raven could identify, while there were a dozens of species that she had never seen before. Perched along the walls and battlements of the castle were flocks of carrion birds, harpies and dragons of the smaller species, while in the air were larger varieties of dragons, while outside the castle walls were a score of frost and flame giants.

Raven then saw a large platform at the far end of the courtyard and standing on the platform, surrounded by high ranking soldiers, dark magic users and monsters, was a woman wearing a black dress and cape that accented her sensual body. The woman was making a furious, hate-filled speech that inspired the dark host before her into a vile frenzy. To Raven's shock and horror, she saw that the woman was an older, evil version of herself.

"No!" a terrified Raven exclaimed, "that's not me! That's not me! I didn't sign the book! I didn't!"

But then Raven saw her older, evil self conjure up something that really got the dark host howling with vicious glee. Magical images were projected above the courtyard, images that showed the hordes of dark creatures conquering not only the fairytale realms but other worlds, hundreds of lands and civilizations that Raven had never seen before.

But then older, evil Raven called up images that really made her blood run cold. She saw Maddie, dead and mutilated, while similar images of Briar, Dexter, Daring, Blondie, Kitty, Lizzie and Cupid were also shown. Another image showed Cedar being burned alive, while Cerise had been locked into a cage and tortured into madness. She saw Ashlynn in rags and chains, forced to clean up the most vile, noxious and filthy of messes, all the while being whipped by a gaggle of Raven's goons, while Hunter was forced to watched via a crystal ball as he lay suspended by chains from a dungeon ceiling.

The final image was the most horrifying of all, for it showed Apple, suspended between two pillars. The once beautiful princess had been reduced to a scarred, ravaged and broken wreck of a girl, eternally tormented by a curse that left her in indescribable, relentless agony and deny her the relief of death.

"NOOOO!" shouted Raven, just as reality shattered, leaving her once again in darkness.

But then the blinding darkness was replaced by blinding whiteness. When Raven's eyes had adjusted to the light, she looked around and saw…nothing, just empty white all around that stretched out into infinity.

"Hello?" Raven asked as she looked around at the emptiness, "is anyone here?"

Raven then heard the sound of someone crying behind her. She turned around and saw…herself, just as she was right then. The other Raven was slumped on the ground, her head in her hands, sobbing her heart out.

"Hello?" Raven asked, "can…can you hear me?"

The other Raven looked up, staring out into the emptiness, a look of utter despair on her face, before burring her head in her hands to resume her weeping.

"Okay, so you can't hear me," said Raven as she watched her other self cry, "talk about talking to yourself and no one is listening," she then closed her eyes in frustration, "get a grip, Raven, this is either a dream or a vision, a really, really bad dream or vision."

"It's no vision," said a familiar voice. Raven opened her eyes and saw Headmaster Grimm standing in front of her, "it's a prophecy. This," he then waved his arms about to indicate the white emptiness, "is where you will go if you continue to deny your destiny, Raven Queen. You and your story will cease to exist and this," he indicated the white emptiness again, "shall become your reality, where you shall remain alone and unloved forever"

"No," said Raven, "you're lying! I didn't Poof out of existence, and neither will anyone else! I know that the Storybook of Legends is a lie! You've been propagating a lie for generations!"

"Nevertheless," said Headmaster Grimm, "you will sign The Storybook of Legends and take your rightful place in your rightful story," he then pulled out The Storybook of Legends, opened it and Raven saw that the page detailing her destiny had been restored.

A quill pen and ink bottle had also appeared, which floated towards Raven, "sign the book, Raven Queen!" said Headmaster Grimm, "Sign! It is your destiny!"

All of a sudden, Raven saw Apple, Maddie and everyone else at school and in the fairytale realms surrounding her, all of them whispering "Sign…Sign…Sign…" yet the whispering rapidly grew to shouting, "SIGN! SIGN! SIGN!"

"Never!" Raven shouted with rage, "I'll never sign! You hear me! NEVER!" yet her words were drowned out by the deafening shouts of those around her and once again, she was plunged into darkness.

* * *

But then Raven opened her eyes and light filled her vision. It was initially too bright for her to see, but Raven realized that she had been dreaming. As Raven's vision cleared, she realized that she was laying on a cot in a hospital. She saw that she was in a hospital gown and that her wounded thigh had been bandaged, while an I.V. tube was connected to her right arm, in which fresh blood was flowing into.

"You're awake!"

Raven looked and saw that Cedar Wood was sitting in a nearby chair, now the wooden girl had leapt out of the chair, "you're awake!"

"Is it that obvious?" Raven asked.

But Cedar was already running to the door, "she's awake!" she shouted as she left the room, "everyone! She's awake!"

Seconds later, Cedar ran back in, followed by Maddie, Briar, Cerise, Ashlynn, Blondie and Apple. Raven was deluged by excited and happy words from her fellow students to the point that she couldn't understand any of them.

"Whoa! Hold it!" said Raven as she sat up, "one thing at a time. What happened at the café? Is everyone alright? Where am I? How'd I get here?" she then looked at her hospital gown, "and where are my clothes?"

"They're being mended," said Ashlynn.

"Everyone else is fine," said Briar, "a few bumps and bruises but nothing serious. And Kitty's feeling very, very sorry for herself."

"She didn't know better," Maddie asked, "heck, I didn't know not to pull out a piece of glass that you got stabbed with." she then pulled out her cup and teapot and poured.

"Only Apple knew what to do," said Briar. She then frowned slightly, "how did you know what to do, anyway?"

"Simple First Aid," said Apple, "mother insisted that I received certification as soon as I was old enough to understand the basics. And after what happened the night of the meteor shower, I had this urge to learn more. By now I know enough to be certified as an emergency medical technician or even a paramedic if I wish to study further."

"Well, I guess knowing how to helps someone injured is only natural for a future queen," said Briar in a slightly unsure tone, "despite the risk of getting blood all over your hands and clothes."

"Yeah, either I was hallucinating," said Raven, "or you ripped your dress and got your hands soaked in my blood."

"What's a ripped dress and blood-soaked hand?" Apple asked, "clothes can be mended or replaced and bloodstains can be washed off. If I hadn't used my dress to make a tourniquet, you wouldn't have lived long enough for the paramedics to stabilize you. After they showed up, you were brought here, Book End General Hospital."

"How long have I been out of it?" Raven asked.

"About three hours," said Apple. "The doctors used a healing spell to repair your Femoral Artery and as soon as they finish replacing your lost blood," she then indicated the I.V., "you'll be ready to go home, so long as you take it easy for a few days."

"Taking it easy is the last thing on my mind right now," said Raven as she tried to get out of bed, but found that she couldn't do more than sit up straight.

"Uh…yes, about that," said Apple in a slightly sheepish manner, "there's a spell on the bed that won't let you leave until the doctors say so."

"Great!" said Raven irately, "there's a maniac out there who wants to kill you, kidnap me and destroy our world, and I'm stuck in bed until I pay the hospital bill." She then sighed and sat back, "what about that Avery Manning, that Kabuto guy? What about him?"

"There's no sign of him or the others with him," said Briar.

"Nearly everyone at school knows what happened at the café," said Ashlynn, while Cedar and Cerise nodded in agreement.

"What happened to you guys was incredible," said Blondie as she began typing on her mirror tablet, "this will make a headliner to end headliners! The truth will be told!"

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"It's complicated," said Apple, "but what's important right now is that you're fine, I'm fine, everyone's fine. Oh, and Dexter sent you flowers."

"He did?" Raven asked. She then saw a vase full of daffodils on a nearby table. "Oh, that's really nice of him."

"I think it's a little more than nice," said Maddie, "after all, you can't make an omelet without leading the horse to water."

At that everyone blinked in confusion and looked at Maddie.

"Uh…okay," said Raven, "well, I'm glad you all are here, but I'd like to get out of here," she then looked at Apple, "what do I have to do to get out of here?"

"I'll see if the doctor can check up on you right now," said Apple, "in the meantime, I think you should try to get more rest."

"Yeah, I'll try," said Raven.

"We'll see you back at school," said Briar, "feel better." With that she, Ashlynn, Maddie, Cedar and Cerise headed out of the door. But Apple lingered.

"I feel like you won't rest until we have a more serious talk," said Apple.

"Yes," said Raven, "I still can't believe you didn't hesitate in getting yourself covered in my blood, let alone rip your dress to make bandages."

"It's only blood," said Apple, "it doesn't bother me that much, and like any other mess, it washes off. Besides, what's a ruined dress when compared to the loss of a friend?"

At that Raven sullenly looked out the window, "yeah, about that," she said in a conflicted tone, "I'm starting to think that we shouldn't be friends."

"Why ever not?" Apple asked, "sure, we have our differences concerning destiny and stuff like that, but…"

"But what?" Raven asked as she tried to get out of bed again, only for the restraining spell to force her to lie back down, "you heard what that lunatic, Cuthbert L. Snyder, said. He wants you dead and wants to kidnap me for something horrible, something that will make what my mother did seem like Nursery Rhyme School pranks."

"All the more reason for us to stick together," said Apple as she sat next to Raven on the bed, "I don't know if it was two brushes with death in less than two weeks," she then paused in thought for a second, "or maybe I grew up a little just now, or maybe both, I don't know.

"My point, is that I shouldn't worry about you not signing the book, that there's far more important things than assuring my own Happily Ever After. I can worry about that when we're not all in danger from nightmarish monsters from another world."

At that Raven couldn't help but smile, "where did this come from? When did you start being so…so…"

"Serious?" Apple asked, "I guess almost dying twice helps put things into perspective. Thank you, Raven, thank you for saving my life again today. I never even thanked you properly for the first time. So thank you, for both times."

"You're welcome," said Raven, "and thank you for saving my life. Now, would you be so kind and get that doctor so I can get out of here already?"

* * *

A short time later the doctor walked in, checked Raven over and after receiving a promise from both her and Apple, released the restraining spell. Raven dressed in her normal attire again, rushed from her dorm room via several of Apple's woodland friends. Having doubly assured the doctors that she was alright, Raven signed the discharge papers.

"There's still so much that I don't understand," said Raven as they waited at the hospital entrance for a carriage to take them back to school, "what's with that Avery Manning guy? And the others with him? And what about those Worm monsters? Where there any more attacks while I was out to lunch?"

"Whoa! One question at a time," said Apple as a carriage pulled up and they got in, the driver flicking the reins and the horses trotted away from the hospital, "alright, I already told you that I stayed with you all the way while you were being healed, and I'll say it again, everyone's fine, even Daring," she frowned slightly at the mention of the future prince, "and as far as I know, he's either feeling very smug or very ashamed of himself right now, I don't know."

"Why? What happened?" Raven asked.

"I'm getting to that," said Apple, "anyway, you know that Avery Manning and his friends quickly left the scene of the battle. I honestly don't know what to think of Avery Manning. I honestly don't know what to think of this whole situation. I mean, bug monsters that can become even uglier and stronger bug monsters? A villainous group from another world who wants me dead and you for some mysterious yet definitely evil purpose? And then there's Avery, Kabuto, whom apparently is the only one who can fight the stronger Worms."

"Just give me a chance to hit the books," said Raven, "there's plenty more dark magic that can be used for good, if used in the right way. I think I understand now that my dark magic can work if I use it to protect myself from harm, and those I care about of course. How that works, I'll have to figure out later."

"I don't doubt it," said Apple, "anyway, while I was waiting for the doctors to finish healing you, Briar, Blondie and Madeline told me that Headmaster Grimm convinced the police and media to cover the incident up as a freak accident."

"He didn't!" said Raven in an astonished tone, "how could he do that? He doesn't have the authority, does he? And how can the fight be covered up? There were dozens of people who saw what happened. We were there, for crying out loud!"

"Well, he did cover it up," said Apple as she handed Raven a newspaper clipping from a special edition, "it was covered up as a freak tornado."

"A tornado with no clouds or wind," said Raven as she read the article, then frowned, "wait a moment. What's this about Daring being a hero? All he did was take get knocked out in the first round by a Worm!"

"Apparently the Headmaster convinced the media that Daring helped his friends get to safety," said an annoyed Apple, "and then he 'braved the ghastly gale to save his future true love.'"

"What a load of minotaur crap!" exclaimed a disgusted Raven as she read more of the article, "Daring didn't do anything! None of the boys did anything, except Dexter. He's the one who should be called a hero. And there's no mention at all of Kabuto and his friends."

"I have a feeling that they'd want it that way," said Apple.

"Well, what does Daring have to say about it?" Raven asked.

"Not much, actually," said Apple, "as soon as the doctors checked everyone, Daring went back to school and as far as I know, he's been locked in his room since. I can only guess he feels bad over what happened, that or so smug that he doesn't know what to do with himself. Either way, I'm not too happy with him right now"

"I haven't been happy with him for a long time," said Raven. She then realized that they were almost back at school. "You do realize that everyone's gonna bombard me with questions."

"I know," said Apple, "but the only thing we can do now is move forward and tell the truth."

"Some of the truth, they won't like," said Raven, "like the fact that we're really still friends looking out for each other."

"Well, that's their prerogative," said Apple, "if they can't accept our friendship, they have that right. It's wrong, but it's their choice."

They then arrived at the front gates of Ever After High and true enough, the entire student body was out on the grounds, deluging Raven and Apple with questions. The cacophonous flood of inquiry was so great it made Raven's ears hurt. Apple tried to calm them down but she could barely make herself heard.

Raven finally had had enough after two seconds and with a wave of her hands, cast a spell that sent out a wave of magic that passed through the student body, minus Apple of course. The students clutched at their throats as their voices were suddenly muted.

"That's better," said Raven. She then glared at her fellow students, "don't you all think it's better? You hear that?" she then raised her hand to her ear, "quiet, isn't it golden? Don't worry, the silence spell will wear off after ten minutes or so. As for me, I'm going up to my room and get some rest; doctor's orders after all." With that she strode through the throngs of students, whom wisely parted to give her walking space.

"You can be really scary sometimes," said Apple as she hurried after Raven, "brilliant, but scary. But that doesn't mean you didn't act unjustified."

"Well, I am tired and my head's starting to hurt," said Raven, "and the doctors did say to rest up, so yeah, I was justified. Besides, just because I'm a good girl, doesn't mean I can't be naughty every now and then."

"Your logic is flawless," said Apple. With that they both laughed. But then something big and green flew overhead, something that caused the silenced student body to scatter in voiceless fright.

"Nevermore!" Raven exclaimed with joyful delight as she looked up at her beloved dragon from the Enchanted Forest. Said dragon gracefully looped through the air before landing in front of her mistress, happily wagging her tail as Raven caressed her scaly head, "did you worry about me? It's okay, I'm fine."

"I think a lot of our dear little friends worried about us," said Apple with a slight giggle as Gala, her beloved artic fox, scampered onto her shoulder, settling around her neck like a protective scarf and nuzzled his head under her chin.

By now, Nevermore had shrunk to her smaller size and settled into Raven's lap as she stroked her ridge spines, "I bet that if you were there, you'd show those horrible Worms a thing or two, right, Nevermore?"

At that the green dragon nodded eagerly, then reared up to breath a jet of fire into the air.

"Well, I'll tell you this," said Raven to Nevermore, "if we run into those Worms again, you can fight along with me. Would you like that?"

Nevermore again breathed a jet of fire in eager acknowledgement. Nevermore then looked at Gala, whom nodded as if the two magical pets had made a decision between the two of them.

"What?" Apple asked Gala, "you want to fight too?" At that Gala nodded in agreement. The white fox grinned, revealing two rows of perfectly white, needle-like teeth.

"No," said Apple flat out, "no, Gala! There is no way I'm going to let you be in harms way! Why, I don't know what I would do if anything were to happen to you, especially if you were even remotely harmed by those horrible Worms." at that Gala gave Apple a look that said that the artic fox only wanted a chance to prove himself.

"Can we talk about this later?" Raven asked, "not that I don't mind hanging out with our pets," she then scratched Nevermore beneath her chin, to which the green-scaled dragon happily purred, "but my leg is starting to get sore."

"Up to bed you go, then!" Apple insisted. She then looked at Gala, "we'll talk about this later." To which Gala reluctantly nodded.

"Take care of yourself, girl," said Raven to Nevermore, whom gave her hand an affectionate nip before taking flight, resuming her full size in midair and flying back towards The Enchanted Forest, while Gala also ran towards said trees. Raven and Apple watched them go off until they were out of sight, then went back inside towards their dorm.

* * *

By the next morning things were more or less back to normal for Raven and Apple as they enjoyed their Saturday. Breakfast was quiet, albeit slightly uncomfortable as nearly everyone stared at Raven as she and Apple sat down to eat.

"They're just scared and confused," said Apple to Raven as the blonde princess as she sprinkled some salt substitute on her Eggs Benedict. "Yesterday was a page turner for everyone."

"More like chapter flipper," said Maddie as she and Briar sat down at the table, "this is more confounding than the raven and the writing desk," she then paused in thought, "I wonder if dear old dad ever figured that one out? Oh well," she then poured tea for herself and her faithful pet dormouse.

"Well, in case you were wondering," said Briar as she pulled out a copy of the morning paper, "the media's still going with the freak tornado story."

"Boy, the headmaster must have really stuck it to them," said Raven as she read the news article.

"He hasn't censored my mirror blog," said Blondie as she sat down, followed by Ashlynn, "though I haven't published yet. I'm just waiting for more facts."

"Such as?" Briar asked as she held her hand in front of her mouth to cover her yawn.

"Such as what exactly were those horrible things that attacked you girls yesterday? The Worms, where did they come from? How many more are there?" Blondie asked, "and that armored warrior who destroyed that really strong Worm? And just who or what is Cuthbert L. Snyder?"

"If you figure that out," said Briar, "I'll nominate you for a…" she then yawned again as her eyes began to flutter close, "for a…journalism…award," her eyes then closed as she fell face forward. Apple hastily pulled Briar's plate away to avoid her landing in her scrambled eggs and toast, then put her napkin in the plate's place, softening Briar's impact with the table as her sunglasses fell into place over her eyes and she began snoring slightly.

"There she goes again," said Maddie, "out like a paper lantern at midnight."

"I'm starting to think she should see a specialist or something," said Blondie.

"Or stop going all out day and night," said Raven, "yes, she's going to wind up in an enchanted sleep for a hundred years, but that's no reason to for her to kill herself before that."

"Maybe," said Ashlynn, "but I know how to wake her up. Today I'm planning to do inventory at my store and I was wondering if any of you would be interested in helping me after breakfast."

"Oh joy," said Raven sarcastically, "spending all day counting shoes. My life is now complete."

"Oh, but counting them is half the fun," said Ashlynn, "I've a few new items in stock that, as a reward for helping with inventory, I might just be willing to sell at a discount to my loyal friends."

At that Briar sat up wide awake, "how much of a discount!?" she asked eagerly as she raised her sunglasses back atop her head. But then she began yawning again.

"I figured about 15%," said Ashlynn as she examined her nails, "but, since you look like you'd rather spend the day in bed, then…"

"Count me in!" said Briar eagerly, "what are we waiting for, girls? We've got shoes to count?"

"Can I enjoy my breakfast first?" Raven asked.

"There's no time!" exclaimed Briar as she checked the clock on her phone, "I'll order breakfast in when we get to the store, come on!" with that she grabbed Apple with one hand, Raven with the other and dragged them away from the table. Maddie joined them, smiling happily as she followed the two reluctant stock helpers out of the castleteria, with Ashlynn brining up the rear.

But in the hallway they bumped into Cerise, knocking the red cloaked girl to the ground and nearly knocking her hood off of her head. She quickly grabbed the edge of her hood before her ears were revealed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Cerise!" said Briar as she released Apple and Raven to help Cerise back up, "I was so excited just now, I didn't even see you."

"It's alright," said Cerise as she smoothed out a wrinkle in her cloak, "sometimes I prefer to go unnoticed."

"Now where's the fun in that?" Briar asked, "if you got it, flaunt it, that's my motto."

"You wouldn't like what I have to flaunt," Cerise muttered as she tugged at the edge of her hood.

Raven thought about what to say that would cheer Cerise up, when Apple spoke first, "hey, why the long face? I know what will turn that frown upside down; come with us."

"Excuse me?" a slightly confused Cerise asked.

"Come with us to Ashlynn's shop and help with inventory," said Apple, "you'll be included in her discount."

"15% off my new exclusive merchandise," said Ashlynn.

"I…I don't know," said a moderately embarrassed Cerise.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Apple insisted.

"Don't make me have to drag you there as well," said Briar.

"You can lead a sheep to shearing, but the goose has to lay the golden eggs all on her own," said Maddie.

At that Apple, Raven, Maddie, Briar and Ashlynn were slightly taken aback, but then they all laughed.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Ashlynn. She then looked towards one of the tables, "oh, Hunter? Would you be a gentleman and help with some of the heavy lifting?"

At that Hunter got up and walked over, "well, if you really need me," he said in a standoffish tone, "I was planning on hanging with…"

"Great! I've got plenty of boxes for you to carry," said Ashlynn. Raven then noticed Ashlynn winking at Hunter, whim winked back, at which Raven couldn't help but smile as she and the others left the castleteria.

* * *

…**Someplace Dark…**

Cuthbert was sitting at a long desk loaded with computer screens, each one showing a different view of the village of Book End, displaying the various going on's of the township. The desk and computer screens were inside a stone chamber deep underground lit by overhead fluorescent lamps. One wall was adorned with computer servers, while the opposing wall had an enormous computer screen that was currently blank.

Two Worms shuffled up to Cuthbert, "yes, what is it?" he asked as he stood up from his desk, "and do use your disguises when addressing me, it's hard enough to understand you in your true forms as it is."

The two Worms shimmered and assumed human forms, one a man, the other a woman, both dressed in everyday clothes and having average features.

"Mr. Snyder," said the man, "our numbers are increasing by the hour. In a few months, there'll be enough Worms to slaughter and replace every human on this miserable world."

"I know the status of Worm breeding," said Cuthbert in an impatient tone, "what of that meddling Kabuto? Any sign of him or his companions?"

"No, Mr. Snyder," said the woman, "not a trace, but we haven't given up the search."

"You'd better not," said Cuthbert, "The Obsidian Council has little patience with those whom so carelessly give up. Now," he then picked up a remote controller and clicked at one of the screens, which now showed Raven, Apple, Briar, Maddie and Cerise helping Ashlynn at her store, cataloging and changing prices on the merchandise, while Hunter carried armloads of shoeboxes to and fro.

"Look at them," said Cuthbert in a contemptuous tone, "so sure in their lives of planned happiness. So content, so peaceful. I intend to shatter their lives beyond all hope of repair." He then looked at the man and woman, "prepare for an attack."

"Do we strike while they're in that store?" the woman asked.

"No," said Cuthbert, "wait until they're out in public again. I want as many witnesses as possible when we take Raven and destroy Apple."

"Yes, Mr. Snyder," said both the man and the woman, whom the disappeared into the shadows.

"Soon, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert as he made the view screen zoom in on Raven, "soon."

* * *

…**Ashlynn's shop…Book End…**

"Well, that takes care of that," said Ashlynn as she and the girls finished inventorying, "and finished in time for lunch no less."

"That's what happens when friends work together," said Apple, "you can accomplish anything."

"Especially if there's a rewarding reward for all your hard work," said Maddie, "wouldn't you agree, Earl Gray?" she asked of her pet dormouse, whom nodded in agreement.

"I think we all pretty got the most out of this morning," said Briar, whom looked at the four shoeboxes set aside for her, while Apple had three boxes, Raven had two, Maddie had five and Cerise had only one.

"Are you sure you don't want any more, Cerise?" Briar asked as Hunter bagged up the boxes for the girls, while Ashlynn tallied up how much was owed.

"I only wanted one pair," said Cerise in a modest tone, "is there anything wrong with that?"

"No," said Ashlynn as she finished up the tallying. Raven then noticed that Ashlynn gave Hunter a slight nod, whom gave a slight nod in return as he went into the backroom.

"It just seems that you could do better than just one pair of high healed running boots," said Ashlynn.

"_Red _high healed running boots," said Cerise, "and I'm fine, honest."

"If it's all she wants then why push her?" Raven asked.

"Speaking of pushing," said Maddie, "who's up for ice cream?"

"What does pushing have to do with lunch?" Briar asked, "and shouldn't we have lunch before desert?"

"What a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious idea," said Maddie eagerly.

"I should have known I'd get suckered in," said Briar, "alright, lunch and ice cream it is," she then checked the time on her phone, "but let's make it a quick luncheon. I've got extreme yoga at 2:00."

"Do I even want to know what extreme yoga is?" Apple asked nervously.

Just then the girls heard a clatter of cascading boxes from the backroom, followed by Hunter shouting, "Pesky! You little jerk! You did that on purpose! Get back here!" there came the sound of more falling boxes.

"I swear, that critter will be the death of him," said Ashlynn. She then sighed, "oh well, better get back there and help clean up the mess."

"Don't you want us to help?" Briar asked.

"No, you all go on ahead to lunch," said Ashlynn, "it shouldn't take long to clean up, so I'll meet up for ice cream later. Just lock the door on your way out." As she hurried to the backroom, Raven saw Ashlynn smile eagerly, but then her stomach growled, pushing aside all thought of the forbidden romance between Ashlynn and Hunter.

"Who'd thought that counting shoes could work up an appetite?" Raven asked as she, Apple, Maddie, Briar and Cerise exited the shop, turning the Open sign around so it now said Closed and locking the door.

They went to a pizzeria and ordered a large with the works, then went next door to an ice cream parlor. Apple ordered a scoop of vanilla in a plain sugar cone, while Raven had a scoop of chocolate in a waffle cone. Briar had a double dish of strawberry in a dish topped with hot fudge and sprinkles, Cerise had a Cookies'n'Cream milkshake, while Maddie had a pistachio and banana sundae with extra caramel and nuts.

As she and her friends enjoyed their frozen treats at an outdoor table, Raven gradually noticed that more and more people were gathering around them. Soon there were almost thirty ordinary-looking men and women standing around Raven, Apple, Briar, Maddie and Cerise.

Apple soon noticed the gathered people as well, followed by Briar and the others. "Um…this is…"

"Strange and awkward?" Briar whispered to Apple. She then smiled in a teasing manner "maybe they're some of your adoring fans."

"No, they're not here for your autograph," said Maddie in a serious tone.

"Why? What's wrong?" Apple asked.

"Them," said Cerise in a tense tone, her voice carrying an edge of fear and anger. She then sniffed the air and growled slightly, her eyes flashing yellow for an instant before returning to normal, "these people, they're what's wrong. Can't you smell it?"

"I don't smell anything," said Apple. She then frowned with concern and fear, "wait, you don't mean…?"

"They're not normal people!" said Raven as she jumped to her feet.

"How right you are, Ms. Queen!" said one of the gathered people. The thirty men and women then shimmered, reverting to their natural state as Worms.

"Oh peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!" exclaimed Maddie as she, Cerise, Briar and Apple stood up.

"That's a rather unusual exclamation, Ms. Hatter," said Cuthbert as he emerged from a shimmering gray door, "then again, unusual is the norm for all Wonderlanders."

"You!" said Raven.

"What do you want, you cretin!?" Apple exclaimed.

"Oh, a little song, a little dance," said Cuthbert in an offhand tone, "your head on a lance, nothing special."

"You sick jerk!" exclaimed Briar, "I ought to…I ought to…" but then she swayed about as her eyes fluttered closed. Cerise and Maddie caught Briar before she fell to the ground, snoring slightly as her crown glasses fell over her eyes.

"So much for the narcoleptic princess," said Cuthbert, "oh well, one less obstacle in my double goals," he then looked at Raven, "I will say unto you again, Nightdancer," he then held out his hand, "come with me to The Obsidian Council and embrace your true destiny."

"If I go with you," said Raven in a cautious tone, "will you promise to leave Apple and everyone else alone?"

"Don't even think of giving in to this sack of rotten meat!" exclaimed Cerise, "he reeks of pure evil!"

"Does evil have a smell?" Maddie asked, "well, I guess you can smell evil, considering your half a wolf."

"What did you say!?" Cerise exclaimed as she pulled her hood down more.

"Excuse me, Maddie," said Apple in a confused tone, "but, did you say that Cerise is a half wolf?"

"She's just talking in Riddlish again," said Raven hastily.

"No, I'm not," Maddie insisted, "Cerise is part wolf, she gets it from her father, The Big Bad Wolf."

"Where did you hear that!?" Cerise demanded. Her eyes flashed yellow as she glared at Raven, as if daring Raven to confess to betraying her secret.

"From the narrator," said Maddie in a matter of fact tone, "isn't that right, Mr. AndrewK9000?"

_ I certainly didn't tell you! I would never let out such a spoiler._

"Oh," said Maddie, "I must have heard it from one of the other narrators then."

"Is it true?" Apple asked Cerise, "are you…? Did your mother, Red Riding Hood, did she…?"

At that Cerise looked at Apple with eyes that were begging for understanding as she slowly lowered her hood, revealing her wolf ears, "my dad, he…he and mom were sweethearts in school, even though they signed The Storybook of Legends and became enemies. When the time came to eat mom's granny, he…he just couldn't go through with it. So he, mom, granny and Hunter's dad…"

"What's this about Hunter's dad!?" Ashlynn exclaimed as she and Hunter stood outside the encircling Worms. Hunter was carrying a loaded crossbow in his hands, a quiver of crossbow bolts strapped to his thigh and a short axe attached to his belt. Ashlynn was holding a long broomstick like it was a quarterstaff.

"Ah, Mr. Hunter and Ms. Ella," said Cuthbert, "not nice to make your acquaintance."

"Whatever," said Hunter, "so, yeah, my dad, he and Cerise's folks, they worked it out so everyone thought that her dad ate Red's granny, then they faked his death and he got a new identity."

"And you knew?" Ashlynn asked, "why didn't you tell me? I would have kept the secret!"

"I couldn't!" said Hunter, "I made a promise. I'm sorry, Ashlynn, but I couldn't tell anyone."

"What are you two going on about now?" Apple asked, while she and Maddie tried to sake Briar awake, yet the rose-themed princess remained unconscious. "And who else knows about Cerise?"

"Kitty Cheshire," said Cerise, "she and I…we have an understanding." she then held her head up with firm determination, now speaking with righteous courage, "But it doesn't matter who does and doesn't know, not anymore. I'm…" she then faltered and hesitated, "well, I'm not as afraid as I was, but I'm ready to admit it. I am Cerise Hood! Daughter of Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf! And while I'm sure I'll feel bad about it later, right now, I don't care who thinks what about me! I'm proud of my parents, just as they're proud of me!" She then smiled and sighed happily, "wow! That felt good! Really good!"

"Good for you!" said Raven, "and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise."

"Yes, bravo," said Cuthbert in a mocking manner as he clapped a few times, "we're all proud of your coming out, Ms. Hood, proud enough to make me sick. Believe me, you wouldn't be so happy if you knew what The Obsidian Council has in store for you."

"And what would that be?" Raven asked, "what does The Obsidian Council want with all of us?"

"All will be revealed when you stand before The Obsidian Council," said Cuthbert, "and as to your attempt to negotiate, I'm afraid I must say no. No, The light that is Apple White must be snuffed out."

"Then you can go to hell," said Raven, "and take your Worms and The Obsidian Council with you!"

At that Cuthbert smiled viciously, "the more you deny yourself, Nightdancer, the more desirable you become!" he then looked at the encircling Worms, "get her. And kill Apple White!" With that the Worms began shuffling towards Raven and Apple.

"Hey! Jerkfaces!" shouted Hunter as readied his crossbow, upon closer inspection revealed itself to be a metal model inscribed with runes, "you want to cause trouble! You got to go through me first!" he took aim with the crossbow at one of the Worms and fired, the bolt flashing red as it impacted in the carapace of the creature. There was another red flash and the bolt exploded, inflicting enough damage to make the creature self destruct in a green fireball.

"Wow!" said an impressed Ashlynn, "but what…?"

"Magic crossbow," said Hunter as he loaded another bolt, "been in the family for generations. Cool, huh?"

"I'll say," remarked Cerise, "but I've got something cooler," she then smiled eagerly, "what we've got here is an opportunity for me to stretch out and cut lose, to let you all know just what I'm capable of." With that she rushed at one of the Worms and delivered a powerful kick that knocked it down, then grabbed another and threw it into the air, then tossed another Worm over her shoulder, all within a few seconds and with surprising ease.

"Phantasmagorical!" said an impressed Maddie as she tossed her hat into the air, turning it into her throwing disk, caught it and threw it at another Worm, hitting it with enough force to knock it down.

"Apple, you get Briar out of here," said Raven as she charged up a sphere of dark purple magic, "we'll hold them off!"

"I won't leave you!" shouted Apple as she tried to shake Briar awake again but to no avail as the narcoleptic princess continued to snore.

Another explosive crossbow bolt hit a Worm, destroying it and another close by in a double green blast. But by now several of the Worms had begun shuffling towards Ashlynn and Hunter.

"Remind me why this was a good idea?" Ashlynn asked nervously as she readied her makeshift quarterstaff and Hunter quickly loaded another explosive bolt into his crossbow.

"Because we both wanted to help our friends!" said Hunter as he aimed and shot the bolt, hitting and destroying one Worm, but three kept coming towards them. With no time to reload, Hunter dropped his crossbow and readied his hatchet.

One of the Worms lunged at Ashlynn, whom with a cry of fury, bashed it in the head with her staff, then jabbed it in the chest and tripped its legs, knocking it to the ground.

"Wow, Ashlynn kicks but!" said an amazed Maddie as she caught her disk and threw it at another Worm.

"Must be from practice with a broom," said Raven.

Just then Hunter uttered a ululating war cry and rushed at another Worm, dodging its slashing claws and delivered a hard axe chop to its midsection, slowing it down enough for Hunter to get behind and deliver another cut.

"At least he's keeping his shirt on," said Raven. She then powered up and shot another dark purple sphere at a Worm, making it explode.

But then she and the others saw two Worms shudder and their outer shells melted off, becoming larger, more menacing Worms, assuming the attributes of scarabs, one of which had a light green shell, the other a dark yellow shell.

"Oh no, they've shed!" exclaimed Maddie.

"That's Molted, you dunce!" said Cuthbert. He then looked at the two Scarab Worms, "deal with the riffraff."

With that the two Scarab Worms Clocked Up, moving so fast they were blurs. The yellow Scarab Worm rushed at Hunter and Ashlynn. Hunter tried to swing his hatchet at the accelerated creature, but the yellow Scarab Worm was too fast, effortlessly dodging the hatchet and striking Hunter across the torso, sending him flying across the area and slamming into a nearby flowerbed.

"NO!" shouted Ashlynn as she rushed over to Hunter, only for her to be backhanded by the yellow Scarab Worm onto the flowerbed next to him.

At the same time, the green Scarab grabbed Cerise by the left arm. Cerise struggled to free herself from the creature, scratching, kicking and even biting, yet nothing she did affected the green Scarab Worm. The creature then swung Cerise hard with enough force to break her arm, then threw her at a nearby lamppost. She hit the metal pole hard and collapsed to the ground.

"You bastard!" shouted Raven at Cuthbert, "why are you doing this!?"

"I thought I had made myself clear already," said Cuthbert, "The Obsidian Council wants you alive and Apple dead. So why delay the inevitable?"

"Because you're evil!" shouted Apple after carefully setting Briar down, then standing tall and glaring at Cuthbert, "you, your horrible Worms, The Obsidian Council and Dai-Shocker, you're all evil!"

"Naturally," said Cuthbert with vile smugness as the two Scarab Worms appeared next to him. He then gestured at the yellow Scarab Worm, "you, get Raven," he then looked at the green Scarab Worm, "you, liquidate the blonde. Oh, and kill the narcoleptic waif while you're at it."

"What?! No!" shouted Apple as the two Scarab Worms advanced towards her, Briar and Raven, "leave Briar alone!"

"I thought you said you only wanted to kill Apple!" exclaimed Raven.

"I lied," said Cuthbert as he smiled wickedly.

Just then came the sound of two motorcycles. Everyone looked at the direction of the sound in time to see a pair of motorcycles jump over a nearby hedge grove and both slammed into the two Scarab Worms, knocking the creatures to the ground.

The riders of the motor cycles killed their engines, dismounted their bikes and took off their helmets. One of the riders was Jeffrey Westing, the other Clare Lawson.

"Well, look what we've got here," said Jeffrey in an eager tone, "looks to me that we made it here just in time." He then looked at Clare, "you know what that make us?"

At that Clare glared irately at Jeffrey, "if you expect me to say 'big damn heroes,' you're sadly mistaken."

"Oh come on," said Jeffrey, "I thought you liked Firefly and Serenity."

"I do," said Clare, "I just don't see the point of making unnecessary quotes."

"What are you talking about?" Raven asked.

"And where's Avery?" Apple asked.

"Yes," said Cuthbert irately as the two Scarab Worms got back up, "where is the meddling Mr. Manning?"

"Avery's busy," said Clare, "and so are the others. So we're the only ones available to clean up this mess."

"That and our Zectors showed up," said Jeffrey as he pulled out a sky blue and black blaster pistol grip, while Clare attached a yellow and white brace to her left wrist

"You mean…you're like Kabuto?" Apple asked.

At that Clare closed her eyes, shaking her head while smirking, "no, we're nothing like Kabuto. He wishes he was as cool as us." She then held up her right hand. A small portal appeared above her and out from it emerged a yellow and white metal wasp.

At the same time, Jeffrey held up his pistol grip. A small portal appeared above his head and from it emerged a sky-blue metal dragonfly.

Clare than grabbed the wasp Zector, "Henshin!" she shouted as she snapped the wasp Zector onto her wrist brace.

**HENSHIN**

Yellow energy hexagons began spreading out from the wasp Zector, materializing into yellow and silver armor that resembled a beehive, with a helmet that two antenna.

The dragonfly Zector then hovered above Tobias's pistol grip, docking with it with a snap and becoming like a blaster. "Henshin!" Tobias shouted as he held the enhanced blaster up.

**HENSHIN**

Blue energy hexagons began spreading out from the dragonfly Zector, materializing into blue and silver armor that resembled a dragonfly nymph.

"Wow!" said an awed Maddie as she, Raven and Apple looked on with amazement.

"So," said an irate Cuthbert as he crossed his arms in a disgruntled manner, "you two are also Kamen Riders."

"You damn right!" said Tobias, his voice reverberating slightly through his helmet, "Kamen Rider Drake!"

"Kamen Rider TheBee!" said Clare.

At that several Worms rushed at the two armored warriors. TheBee rushed up to the lead Worms and delivered a punch that knocked it down, then kicked another in the chest. At the same time, Drake aimed and fired his dragonfly blaster at several Worms, shooting sky blue energy bolts that impacted their targets and delivering enough damage to make three Worms explode.

A fresh wave of Worms then shuffled in, rushing towards TheBee and Drake.

"Like lemmings to a cliff," said TheBee as she flipped the wings on her wasp Zector up. Yellow energy crackled across her armor as the segments of said armor began to separate. At the same time, Drake pulled a throttle like lever on the tail of his dragonfly Zector, causing blue energy to crackle across his armor as the segments of said armor began to separate.

"Cast Off!" shouted TheBee as she rotated her Zector a half circle so its stinger was now facing front.

**CAST OFF**

Her armor then blasted off, revealing a more sleeker, more wasp-like armor. Her helmet's segmented visor flashed yellow.

**CHANGE: WASP**

"Cast Off!" shouted Drake as he pulled the trigger on his blaster.

**CAST OFF**

His armor then blasted off, revealing a more dragonfly-like armor.

**CHANGE: DRAGONFLY**

The double segments of flying armor then impacted the new wave of Worms with enough force to destroy nearly all of them.

At that the two Scarab Worms then accelerated, rushing at the two armored warriors faster than the normal eyes could track.

"Cock Up!" shouted both TheBee and Drake as they pressed a button on the side of their belts.

**CLOCK UP**

Reality brightened and blurred slightly as TheBee and Drake accelerated into Hyper Time. TheBee rushed at the yellow Scarab Worm and the two began exchanging blows, while Drake was exchanging blows with the green Scarab Worm.

The yellow Scarab Worm kept trying to grab and crush TheBee, yet the wasp-like Rider was too fast, easily dodging the creature and countering with lightning fast punches and kicks. At the same time, Drake blocked the attacks from the green Scarab Worm, countering with punches and shoots from his dragonfly blaster.

TheBee then delivered a devastating kick that knocked the yellow Scarab Worm down, while Drake shot the green Scarab Worm in a vital spot, knocking it down as well.

**CLOCK OVER**

Reality resumed its normal illumination and clarity as all four fighters returned to normal time.

"Oh, you miserable sacks of proto plasum!" snapped Cuthbert at the two Scarab Worms, "get up and kill something!"

"No chance!" said TheBee as she pressed a button on her wasp Zector, while Drake folded the wings on his dragonfly Zector to form a target scope.

"Rider Sting!" shouted TheBee.

**RIDER STING**

Yellow energy crackled out from the wasp Zector across TheBee's armor.

"Rider Shooting!" shouted Drake.

**RIDER SHOOTING**

Blue energy crackled out from the dragonfly blaster across Drake's armor.

Just as the two Scarab Worms got back to their feet, TheBee charged at the yellow Scarab Worm, the energy crackling across her armor focusing on the stinger of her Zector. At the same time, the energy crackling across Drake's armor focused into the barrel of his blaster as he took aim at the green Scarab Worm.

TheBee then delivered a high-powered punch augmented by the energy-charged stinger, inflicting enough damage to the yellow Scarab Worm to make it explode in a yellow fireball.

Drake then pulled the trigger on his blaster, firing a massive bolt of energy at the green Scarab Worm. The blast impacted and caused the creature to explode in a sky blue fireball.

"Booyah!" said Drake triumphantly.

At that TheBee looked at Drake, "are you going to say that every time you destroy a Worm?"

"No, just the Molted ones," said Drake.

"And you couldn't come up with a better catchphrase?" TheBee asked irately, "something that doesn't make you sound like an idiot?"

"There's nothing wrong with Booyah," said Drake, "I'm sure our friends like it," he then looked at Raven, Apple and Maddie, "right?"

"Uh…" said Apple, while Raven and Maddie looked on in confusion.

"Whatever," said TheBee, "now, where's that jerk in the bad suit?"

"I happen to get my suits from a really expensive tailor, thank you very much!" snapped Cuthbert, "and now, if you'll excuse me…"

"You're not going anywhere, jerk!" snapped Raven as her hands glowed purple in the process of casting a spell.

With a purple flash, chains appeared around Cuthbert that quickly ensnared him.

"Oh, great move, Raven," said an impressed Maddie.

"Now we can get some answers," said Raven.

"I think not," said Cuthbert as the chains glowed dark red and crumbled into dust, "your powers may be improving, Nightdancer," he said as he straightened his tie, "but you're still far beneath my level. Enjoy this victory, for the next battle will not end well for you and your friends!" with that he stepped into a shimmering gray door and vanished with it.

"What a pile of pig vomit!" snapped TheBee. With that she powered down to her normal self as Clare, while Drake powered down to his normal self as Jeffrey.

"No one ever said that this campaign would be easy," said Jeffrey as he and Clare walked back to their motorcycles, "or quick.

"Yeah, well," said Clare, "I can still hope." With that she and Tobias got back onto their bikes.

"Wait!" said Raven, "I need to talk to you!"

"And we want to talk to you too," said Jeffrey, "so does Avery and the others, but not here, not now."

"We'll be in touch," said Clare as she and Jeffrey put their helmets back on, "so keep your ears open." With that they kick started their bikes and speed off out of the area.

"Curious and curious to the nth degree," said Maddie.

Just then Dexter ran into the area, while Gala ran in too like white lightning, while overhead flew Nevermore.

"Raven! Apple!" Dexter shouted, "are you alright!?"

"We're fine," said Raven as Nevermore assumed her smaller form and dove into Raven's arms, while Gala wrapped himself around Apple's neck, "but why are you here? And were are the others?"

"I'm the only one who saw Nevermore and Gala heading towards town," said Dexter, "I'm sorry I'm late. I'll be quicker next time."

At that Nevermore and Gala looked apologetic for being late as well.

"It's okay," said Raven to Nevermore, "we'll fight together another time."

"We'll worry about that later!" said Apple as she rushed over to Cerise, whom still lay unmoving, "Raven, check on Hunter and Ashlynn. Dexter, help Raven. Maddie," she then frowned slightly, "try to wake Briar up, please?"

"No problem!" said Maddie as her disk returned it its normal hat shape. She then rummaged through it's seemingly infinite depths, "I have just the blend in mind."

Raven and Dexter rushed over to Hunter and Ashlynn, both of whom were now conscious and struggling to get back up.

"Are you two aright?" Dexter asked.

"I'm fine," said Hunter as he sat up, only to grunt in pain and clutch at his chest. His shirt had been torn open and a long red welt had appeared where he was struck by yellow Scarab Worm.

"Oh, you're hurt!" exclaimed Ashlynn as she sat up. A large purple bruise where the Worm had struck her across the face had appeared. She tried to stand up but cried out in pain as she fell back down, clutching at her right ankle.

"You're hurt too!" said Hunter as he crawled over to her.

"It's not bad," said Ashlynn, "my ankle, it think it's just a sprain. I won't be going dancing anytime soon, but I'll be alright."

"I mean your face!" said Hunter.

Ashlynn felt the bruise and winced slightly at the contact, "well, I'm sure it looks worse than it actually feels. But you got hit harder than I was!"

"The only things that hurt more than this," said Hunter as he pointed at the welt across his chest, "are my pride and my heart. I was so scared that you were in danger."

"I was more scared that you were dead," said Ashlynn, "so why don't we be scared together?"

"Sounds good to me," said Hunter. With that they embraced but winced at the pressure on their battered bodies. They were content to hold hands and kiss.

"Uh…did I miss anything?" Dexter asked.

"A lot and then some," said Raven.

Just then they heard Cerise cry out in agony.

"Raven, I need you!" shouted Apple. Raven rushed over to Apple and saw her struggling to keep Cerise from thrashing about.

"Her left arm's broken in three places and she has a shattered right hip," said Apple as she tried to calm Cerise down, but the red-cloaked girl kept thrashing, alternating between growls of anger and whimpers of pain.

"What…what do you need me to do?" Raven asked.

"I need her unconscious for a while!" said Apple, "I already called the paramedics, but in the state she's in, by the time the paramedics get here, Cerise will end up hurting herself more! Raven, use your magic to knock her out!"

"I can't do that!" exclaimed Raven as she knelt down to help restrain Cerise, "I could accidentally kill her! Or worse!"

"I'm not asking for a killing curse," said Apple, "just a stunning spell, a full body bind, anything to stop her moving about, or at the very least calm her down!"

"But…I…" said Raven, her voice full of doubt.

"Just do it, Raven," said Apple as she looked at Raven with eyes full of sincere trust, "I believe in you."

Hearing those words bolstered Raven's heart, "Alright," she said, "I'll try, but if I end up mutating Cerise into something out of a nightmare, please don't sue me." She then held pointed her finger at Cerise and fired a bolt of magic which hit the red-hooded girl in the heart. Cerise gave a loud surprised gasped, then collapsed to the ground with a relieved sigh, closing her eyes and remained still.

"Is she…?" Raven asked fearfully.

"She's out like a light," said Apple as she gave Raven a reassuring smile, "sleeping like a newborn wolf pup."

"Uh…" they heard Dexter say, "why does Cerise have wolf ears?"

"Another thing you missed," said Raven.

Just then everyone heard Briar yawning deeply. They saw her sitting up, a steaming cup of tea in one hand as she rubbed her eyes with the other, "oh, hi, everyone," she said sleepily, "did we win?"

"More or less," said Apple.

"We beat back The Worms again," said Raven as Ashlynn and Hunter hobbled over, with her leaning on him for support, "but Cuthbert is still on the lose. And those Riders, who are they really?"

* * *

…**Someplace Dark…**

"How dare they!?" snapped Cuthbert as he paced back and forth in front of his desk, "those filthy Kamen Riders! How dare they interfere with my plans!"

Just then the big screen on the far wall flash to life, displaying a table and several seated individuals cast in shadow.

"Mr. Snyder," said a man's digitally altered voice, the sound of which caused Cuthbert to give out a startled yelp.

"Oh…uh…Chairman Dusk," said Cuthbert in a flustered tone, "I…uh…"

"We request a status report, Mr. Snyder," said a woman's digitally altered voice.

"Uh…well…" said Cuthbert as he broke out into a nervous sweat, "I…"

…_The End Is Just The Begining…_


	4. Chapter 3: Meetings of Dark and Light

**Chapter 3: Meetings of Dark and Light**

…**Someplace Dark…**

"Well, Mr. Snyder?" Chairwoman Umbra asked in an impatient tone, "we're waiting."

"Uh…well," said Cuthbert, "yes, a status report."

"Yes," said Chairman Dusk, "we're waiting on the status of the mission."

"How fare the production of Worms?" one of the male council members asked.

"Oh, Worm production," said Cuthbert in a relieved tone as he wiped his brow again, "yes, of course, Chairman Taube. Worm production is proceeding ahead of expected parameters. In less than six months, we'll have enough to replace every inhabitant of this world."

"And the location of your base?" one of the female council members asked, "any security issues?"

"None whatsoever, Chairwoman Noir," said Cuthbert, "the base was established with complete secrecy. The authorities of this world could search for a thousand years and they'd never find us. Then again," he then smirked, "I doubt the local authorities would even bother."

"And your primary objectives?" another male council member asked, "have you eliminated Apple White?"

"And captured the other girl, Raven Queen?" another female council member asked.

"Uh…" Cuthbert hesitated again, breaking out in another nervous sweat, "not just yet, Chairman Onyx, Chairwoman Sable."

"You haven't even gotten close yet," said Chairman Dusk in a matter of fact tone.

"Ah…no," said Cuthbert, "but…"

"But nothing!" snapped Chairwoman Umbra, "they are two teenaged girls, one a ditzy diva of a princess, the other an emotionally disturbed dark magic user whom can't even control her powers! Killing the former and capturing the later should have been as easy as stepping on a crack!"

"And yet you failed," said Chairman Onyx.

"I believe we are being a little too hard on our friend the attorney," said Chairwoman Noir, "the operation has been in full motion for less than two whole days."

"And it is possible that our intelligence on both Raven Queen and Apple White may be incomplete," said Chairwoman Sable, "as well as the other students of Ever After High."

"Yes, we…I mean I underestimated them," said Cuthbert hastily, "they've defiantly deviated from their predicted abilities. Nightdancer, she's beginning to master her powers, while the ditz of the princess is embracing the medical arts."

"This is ill news indeed," said Chairman Dusk, "if the current generation of fairytale characters break the cycle and embrace their own, true destinies, all our plans and preparations will be for naught."

"I'll double my efforts," said Cuthbert, "I assure you, my Council, the mission will succeed, just not as quickly as we had predicted."

"Best laid plans," said Chairman Taupe.

"How many Worms have Molted?" Chairwoman Umbra asked.

"Three," said Cuthbert, "but not easily, I can assure you."

"It matters no how much of a fight they put up!" snapped Chairwoman Umbra, "even if Raven Queen is mastering her powers, even if her entire Legacy Day group had embraced their true destinies, none of them could have been a match for a Molted Worm, let alone three."

"How were the Molted Worms destroyed, Mr. Snyder?" Chairman Dusk asked.

At that Cuthbert paled, his brow sweating rivers.

"Is there a problem with the transmission, Mr. Snyder?" Chairwoman Sable asked, "are you receiving us?"

"Loud and clear, my Council," said Cuthbert.

"Then answer the darkness-damned question!" snapped Chairman Dusk, "how were the Molted Worms destroyed?"

"Kabuto!" Cuthbert blurted out. He then looked as if he had did something terrible.

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Chairman Dusk.

"You mean Kamen Rider Kabuto!?" exclaimed Chairwoman Umbra.

"Impossible!" said Chairwoman Sable, "our contacts with Dai-Shocker inform us that every Rider in the Kabuto universe and subsequence parallels are occupied. There is no way that Tendou Souji or any of his alternates are involved!"

"Unless another has been chosen to wield the Kabuto Zector," said Chairwoman Noir, "tell me, Mr. Snyder, do you know the name of the man beneath the armor?"

"Avery Manning!" said Cuthbert irately, "an insufferable bastard to end all insufferable bastards. And he wasn't alone! There's six more with him!"

"SIX?!" exclaimed Chairwoman Umbra.

"Let me guess, they all have Zectors," said Chairman Taupe.

"Only two others have Zectors," said Cuthbert, "only TheBee and Drake."

"Then there is time to end this threat before Sasword and Gatack arrive or any other," said Chairman Onyx.

"I shall overwhelm them with a raging torrent of Worms, my Council!" Cuthbert exclaimed. "I shall also double, no, triple, no, _quadruple _my efforts to capturing Raven Queen and killing Apple White! They will rue the day they dared to defy the will of The Obsidian Council!"

"Be at ease, Mr. Snyder," said Chairwoman Sable, "you're going to give yourself a myocardial infraction."

"I believe we need to refocus our method of operations," said Chairman Taupe, "a new plan to deal with this new Kabuto and the other new Riders."

"I can come up with a plan, my Council," said Cuthbert.

"NO!" Chairman Dusk exclaimed, "you have another task to perform."

"Until we can determine exactly how to eliminate this new threat," said Chairwoman Noir, "you are to proceed with Phase 2 of the mission."

"The Negative Seeds?" Cuthbert asked, "that is a giant leap ahead of schedule indeed. Are you sure…"

"Yes, I am," said Chairwoman Noir. She then faced her fellow shadowed comrades, "I call The Obsidian Council to vote; all those in favor of initiating Phase 2, raise your right hand."

At that all the shadowed council members raised their hands.

"Unanimous," said Chairwoman Noir.

"And all those in favor of seeking an alternate solution to the destruction of the new Riders, raise your right hands," said Chairman Taupe. Again, they all raised their hands.

"It is agreed," said Chairman Dusk. He then looked at Cuthbert, "you will proceed with the planting of the Negative Seeds."

"I obey, my Council," said Cuthbert.

"But do not think you can take this likely, Mr. Snyder!" said Chairwoman Umbra, "we will be in regular contact as to the status of Phase 2."

"I understand, my Council," said Cuthbert, "I will not fail you."

"See that you don't," said Chairman Dusk, "you know what awaits those who displease us."

"Yes, my Council" said Cuthbert in a hushed tone, "a most painful and drawn out death."

"Then you have all the incentive you need," said Chairwoman Umbra, "for the advancement of The Obsidian Council and the glory of Dai-Shocker!"

At that Cuthbert stood at attention, while the shadowed council members stood up at attention as well. They all their raised their right hands in salute and shouted, "Dai-Shocker! Banzai!"

The big screen then went dark as the transmission ended. Cuthbert let out a sigh of relief, walked over to his desk and slumped into his chair, leaning back as far as the chair would recline, "that could have gone better," he said to himself, "this whole operation could be going better," he then sat up and grabbed a pencil from his desk, twirling it between his fingers.

"If it weren't for that filthy Avery Manning and his band of barbaric Riders, Phase 1 would be complete and Phase 2 would be proceeding as to its proper scheduling. Now I have to rush the Negative Seeds into readiness, while ignoring any and all opportunities to kill Apple and grab Raven. And all the while, those disgusting Riders are free to do as they please!"

He then gripped the pencil in both hands and snapped it in half. He then smiled wickedly as inspiration struck, "the Council may have decreed that I am not to directly go after Apple and Raven anymore, nor am I to try to destroy those Riders outright. But in the process of implementing Phase 2, should those brats meddle where they shouldn't and I were to take steps to counter their meddling, who's to say I was in the wrong?"

He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, "and if in the process of defending Phase 2, if I were to either capture Raven, kill Apple or destroy one of the Riders, or all for that matter, all the better for me!" He then summoned a pair of Worms disguised as humans.

"Inform the head of the scientific division that there's been a change in plans," said Cuthbert, "we're implementing Phase 2 immediately." The two Worms nodded in acknowledgement and left the room.

Cuthbert then called up on one of the computer screens and image of Raven, "a new twist has been written into the story, Nightdancer, one that everyone shall enjoy."

* * *

…**Book End General Hospital…**

"So, how long do you think it'll be?" Dexter asked as he, Raven, Maddie, Briar and Apple, sat in the hospital waiting room.

"As long as it takes," said Apple as she held out a tea cup, in which Maddie poured more tea into. "Healing should never be rushed if possible."

"It's not the waiting that I mind," said Briar, "it's the uncertainty. This is twice that that horrible Cuthbert Snyder attacked us and twice that our friends got hurt."

"At least Ashlynn, Hunter and Cerise weren't as hurt as I was," said Raven.

"Yeah, you nearly died," said Dexter.

"Well," said Raven in a slightly unsure tone, "I wouldn't say I nearly died, almost, but not nearly. I was in good hands from the get go."

"A severed Femoral Artery is no laughing matter," said Apple, "no injury should be taken lightly. But we should be fortunate that our friends weren't hurt worse."

"Remind me how bad it was?" Dexter asked as he straightened his glasses, "I was late to the fight this time."

"I'll tell you how bad it was," said a male's voice. Raven, Apple, Maddie, Briar and Dexter looked to see a man in his early 30's with short black hair, brown eyes and a short beard, wearing blue scrubs and a white lab coat. A nametag on his coat said 'Dr. H.C. Anderson, M.D.'

"Doctor Anderson," said Apple as she stood up, followed by Raven, Briar and Dexter, while Maddie sipped her tea before setting the teacup on a nearby table and standing up.

"Princess Apple," said Dr. Anderson, "two visits to my E.R. in as many days. At this rate, you might as well apply for full paramedic training."

At that Apple blushed slightly, "oh, it's just something I study in my spare time. I'm too busy in my royal duties to take up medicine as a career."

"Even a princess should have a career," said Dr. Anderson, "but that's my humble opinion. Anyway, about your friends."

"Yeah, about Cerise," said Raven in a serious tone.

"No need to worry about Ms. Hood," said Dr. Anderson, "I have her set up in her own room with a double privacy screen. Any visitors will be delayed long enough for her to conceal her uniqueness. And neither I nor my staff will tell, doctor/patient confidentiality, after all."

"Well, that's one less stress factor on my shoulders," said a relieved Raven.

"As to Ms. Hood's injuries," said Dr. Anderson as he looked at some test results on his clipboard, "her paternal heritage has granted her an heightened healing factor. That, combined with a standard healing spell will have her arm and hip fully restored by this evening. A night of observation and she'll be free to return to school in the morning.

"As for Mr. Hunter and Ms. Ella," he then flipped the pages on his clipboard over, "he suffered five cracked ribs, a bruised liver and spleen, while Ms. Ella's ankle wasn't twisted, it was broken, while she suffered a cracked jawbone, a cracked cheekbone and a mild concussion. Fortunately for them, the healing spells are having the desired effects and they'll be ready to be discharged in a few hours."

"Thank goodness," said Briar.

"And as for you, Ms. Queen," said Dr. Anderson in a slightly annoyed tone as he looked at Raven, "I thought you were supposed to rest after you were discharged yesterday."

"I did rest," Raven insisted, "I rested all night."

"A good night's sleep isn't enough," said Dr. Anderson, "your body went through a serious trauma yesterday, and before you say it, healing magic takes its toll on the body. Without proper rest, you could suffer serious complications that could leave you chronically ill. You may be the most evil of them all, but that doesn't give you the right to go gallivanting around town and fight monsters. Even the worst of villains have to take care of themselves."

At that Raven glared irately at Dr. Anderson as dark thoughts raged in her mind. How dare this glorified male nurse tell her what to do? Just because he has a medical degree, doesn't give him the right to order her around! He may see himself as a god but she'll humble him alright, yes, he'll be humbled as a little white mouse!

But then Raven blinked and the dark thoughts vanished from her mind. She realized to her horror that her hand was halfway raised to cast a transfiguration spell. She quickly lowered her hand, cleared her throat and spoke, "you're right, Dr. Anderson, I'll try to stay out of trouble."

"See that you do," said Dr. Anderson, "I understand that you're going through a difficult time at school, but regardless of being good or bad, nothing gives you leave to neglect your health."

"I understand," said Raven, "I'll take better care of myself."

Just then they heard a nurse's voice over the P.A. system, "Dr. Anderson, report to Surgery, Dr. Anderson, report to Surgery."

"A healer's job is never done," said Dr. Anderson. He then looked at Raven, "remember to take care of yourself," he then looked at Apple, "you too, and that goes for everyone at that school of yours."

"Yes, Doctor," said Apple, and with that, Dr. Anderson headed off to answer his summons.

"Nice man," said Briar, "a little abrupt and serious."

"He's just concerned," said Maddie as she sat down and poured some tea, "after all, when the woodchuck and the sparrow sit down for lunch, fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly."

"Right," said Briar in an unsure tone, "so, are going back to school now?"

"I'd like to look in on Hunter, Ashlynn and Cerise first," said Apple.

"Me too," said Raven, "and then we all need to sit down and talk about our bigger problem."

"You mean what we're going to do about The Worms?" Hunter asked as he and Ashlynn, both in wheelchairs, were pushed into the waiting room by a pair of nurses. Hunter had his ribs bandaged, while Cerise had bandages over her face and a walking cast over her calf and foot. All the bandages and the cast had a soft blue glow as the healing spells mended their assaulted bodies.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" a flabbergasted Apple asked, "if Dr. Anderson found out, he'd…"

"He'd eat his stethoscope?" Ashlynn suggested, her voice slightly slurred by the bandages wrapped around her face, "we're fine, I mean, we will be fine," with that she and Hunter clasped hands.

"Something like that," said Apple, "and I'd tone down the romance a bit. Dr. Anderson has a strict 'no hanky panky' rule."

"But our love isn't a secret anymore," said Hunter, "I mean, it's only a matter of time before the whole school knows about Ashlynn and me."

"And right now I don't care," said Ashlynn, "I'm just glad that we're both alive and together."

"You do realized that your relationship won't work out," said Briar, "you're from different social classes and different fairytales."

"We know and we don't care," said Ashlynn.

"Just let anyone try to break us apart," said Hunter, "let them! We'll show them that you can't mess with true love."

"But you signed The Storybook of Legends," said Apple to Ashlynn in a slightly unsure tone, as if she didn't fully believe her words, "Ashlynn, you're committed to be the next Cinderella and marry your own prince."

"I don't think they care," said Raven.

"If Raven can defy her destiny, then so can I," said Ashlynn, while Hunter nodded in agreement.

At that Apple looked like she wanted to argue further, but instead she closed her eyes and sighed with exasperation, "I can't deal with this right now. Let's just go see Cerise and then head back to school, where we can try and figure out what to do about the maniac and monsters out to destroy our world."

With that Apple, Raven, Maddie, Briar, Dexter, Ashlynn and Hunter headed for the single room area of the recovery wing of the hospital, the former two being pushed by Maddie and Dexter. As they neared Cerise's room, they all heard a woman screaming in fright.

A terrified nurse burst out of the room, clutching her pounding heart as if it would burst right through her uniform.

"What happened?" Raven asked.

"In there!" the terrified nurse gasped as she pointed at the room, "a vicious beast! It'll kill her!" with that she ran down the hallway, screaming bloody murder.

But then Raven and the others heard the sound of Cerise laughing. Cautiously, they walked into the room, where Cerise, safe and sound, though her left arm and right leg were immobilized, while Cerise was being licked across the face by a young gray wolf.

"Cut it out, Carmine!" Cerise exclaimed between bouts of laughter, "no fair! I…I can't move!"

"Uh…Cerise?" Raven asked.

At that Cerise saw Raven and the others, "oh…hey, everyone!" at that the young gray wolf stopped giving her a tongue bath and happily sat on the bed, wagging his tail, "this is Carmine, my semi-cousin. It's alright, he won't bite."

"Very nice to meet you, Carmine," said Apple as she walked forward and held out her hand for Carmine to sniff, which he did and gave her hand a welcoming lick.

"Oh, you're so cute!" exclaimed Maddie as she began stroking Carmine's fur, "like a little, wild puppy dog in galoshes!"

"He's not wearing galoshes," said Briar. At that everyone laughed.

* * *

An hour later found Raven, Apple, Briar and Dexter back at school. Hunter and Ashlynn would be back later that evening after they were discharged, while Cerise would be released from the hospital the following morning. Maddie said she wanted to stay and play with Carmine for a while, promising to be back at school before dark.

As they crossed the school gates, Raven collided with Blondie, whom had been running towards the group. The two of them landed in a heap on the ground.

"What the hell, Blondie!" exclaimed Raven as she felt her forehead, "watch where you're going!"

"Hey, sorry!" said Blondie as she and Raven picked themselves up, "sheesh, which side of the bed did you get of this morning? 'Cause it sure wasn't the right one, if you know what I mean."

At that Raven looked like she had just did something terrible, "oh, I'm sorry, Blondie. I don't know what came over me, I shouldn't have snapped at you."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't being too careful either," said Blondie. "But enough about that," she then pulled out a special edition of the newspaper, "guess what Headmaster Grimm did while you were at the hospital?"

"He didn't cover up the attack again, did he?" Apple asked as Blondie handed the paper to her. Apple pulled and put on her reading glasses and looked at the headlines, "he did! He got the media and police to cover up the Worm attack again!"

"This time the explanation was that of mass hysteria caused by a natural gas leak," said Briar as she read the news story over Apple's shoulder, "well, he gets credit for originality."

"I can't believe no one else is questioning this!" exclaimed Apple. She looked at Raven and Dexter, "I mean, we were there and there wasn't any gas leak! We saw those blasted Worms! We sat Cuthbert and we saw Tobias and Claire."

"How can anyone buy this load of crap?" Raven asked, "a freak tornado with no tornado, a gas leak with no gas. How can Headmaster Grim spread such lies?"

"Let's find out," said Apple as she put away her reading glasses, "I'm going to go right up to his office and demand some answers," she looked at her friends, "you're welcome to come with me."

"All the way," said Raven.

"I'd like to find out why he lied about my brother," said Dexter.

"Uh…sorry, Apple," said Briar as she looked at her watch, "but…"

"Go do whatever you've got scheduled," said Apple, "we'll talk later."

"Thanks!" said Briar eagerly as she ran off.

"You want me to come too?" Blondie asked.

"No," said Apple, "but get that story for your blog ready. It's one thing to avoid a panic among the general population, but to spread such outright lies, it's inexcusable. I promise you this, my friends, when I'm queen, I'll never allow the truth to be suppressed in such an uncouth manner!"

At that Raven gave a soft laugh.

"What?" Apple asked, "what is it?"

"Nothing," said Raven, "it's just that you're scary and awe inspiring when you're in monarch mode."

"Monarch Mode," said Apple, she then smiled, "I like that."

"I'd like to see you try it on Headmaster Grimm," said Dexter.

"Then let's go stick it to the man," said Raven. With that she, Dexter and Apple headed through the school hallways and arrived outside the office of Headmaster Milton Grimm. Apple was about to knock on the door, when it opened and Headmaster Grimm stuck his head out.

"Ah, my dear Princess Apple," said Headmaster Grimm in a cheerful tone, he then saw Dexter and Raven, "And young prince Charming and the intriguing Ms. Queen, just the three students I wanted to see. Come in! Come in!" he then held the door open and bade them inside.

"Uh…thank you, Headmaster," said Apple as she, Raven and Dexter walked into the office. Grimm bade them to sit down in three chairs in front of his desk.

"Would you care for some tea?" Grim asked as he indicated a nearby tea service, "coffee? Juice? Water?"

"No, thank you, Headmaster," said Apple in a slightly uncomfortable tone, her earlier confidence beginning to fade, "we wanted to talk to you about…"

"Yes, yes, there is much to discuss," said Grimm, "what with such unpleasantness in recent days. Imagine, two disasters in as many days. Fortunately, no one was seriously harmed."

"No one was seriously harmed?" Raven asked in an annoyed tone, "Ashlynn nearly had her head bashed in, Hunter could have had his organs crushed and Cerise's lucky that she'll walk again!"

"Yes, such unfortunate accidents," said Grimm, "then, one must accept that accidents do happen."

"Accidents?" Dexter asked, "we were attacked for crying out loud!"

"Yes, accidents do happen," said Grimm as he stood up and walked over to a nearby bookshelf and bushed off some dust. "Such unfortunate unpleasantness, and in the wake of the fiasco of this year's Legacy Day, most unfortunate."

He then walked over to a nearby empty glass case atop a pedestal, "A most unfortunate fiasco," he then looked at Raven, "and it was such a promising Legacy Day it would have been, dear Raven, where you and young Apple would have secured your destinies in your shared story."

The image of boiling Grimm alive in hot oil entered Raven's mind and she found it most pleasing as her irritation at the headmaster grew to anger. Yet she managed to contain her irate thoughts and spoke, "you want to talk about Legacy Day? Now? When our world is threatened by otherworldly monsters!? When a maniac is out there, hell-bent on kidnapping me and killing Apple? Are you nuts or something!?"

"Hey, take it easy," said Dexter, "yelling won't help."

"But she does have a point," said Apple. She stood up and looked at Grimm, "Headmaster, I…we, the royal 'we' and my friends, we wish to talk to you about the recent disturbances in Book End, specifically about the creatures known as The Worms and the apparent psychopath known as Cuthbert L. Snyder."

"I see no reason to be concerned about such matters," said Grimm.

"Are you kidding me!?" exclaimed Raven, "he wants to destroy our world!"

"I'd be careful with such words, Ms. Queen," said Grimm in a serious tone, "the second you refused to sign your name into The Storybook of Legends, the instant you violated that most important of books by scratching your story out, and as if to add insult to injury, you had to rip your page out of the poor book! The second you committed such a defilement, you put not only yourself in mortal danger, but also young Apple, your fellow fairytales in your year, in fact our entire world is at risk of vanishing out of existence!"

"Minotaur crap!" snapped Raven, "I didn't sign your sham of a book and low and behold!" she spread her arms wide to indicate herself, "I'm still here. I didn't go 'Poof!' and I never will."

"I never said you'd go 'Poof!' right away," said Grimm, "there is still time for you to redeem yourself. As we speak, The Storybook of Legends is being mended and will be returned to its rightful place in our most illustrious establishment of enchanted education.

"Once the book has been returned, we will conduct a private ceremony involving you, Ms. Queen, young master Charming and everyone else whom was denied the joy and privilege of signing their names and ensuring their destinies and respective happily ever afters."

At that Raven, Apple and Dexter were left dumbstruck as conflicting feelings raged in their minds. For Dexter, he was both happy and afraid of a second Legacy Day. On one hand, his uncertainty of what story he belonged to would finally be resolved and he could move forward with a certain future, hopefully out of his brother's shadow. On the other hand, it would mean closing the doors of so many opportunities and leaving only one path in which to take his life. And to make matters worse, it would mean that he and Raven could never be together.

For Apple, she was overjoyed at the though of a second Legacy Day. At long last, her story and happy ending would be ensured. Never again would she be tormented by an uncertain, danger filled future. But, it would mean that Raven would accept her destiny as the most evil of them all. Now that their friendship was on the mend, the idea of Raven losing herself to the dark side was not pleasant to Apple. After seeing true evil in the form of Cuthbert and The Worms, Apple would never wish such a cold, heartless and downright vile destiny upon anyone, not even the one who was supposed to ensure her own happiness. And of course, Apple was feeling more than a little irked at Grimm's avoidance of the more immediate danger.

As for Raven, she was on the verge of losing control. How dare this fat, pompous buffoon of an educator even think of suggestion that Raven sign his pathetic excuse of a book!? How dare he ignore the more pressing issue; the attempted kidnapping of herself? How dare he think that she would even consider knowing her destiny? That he could control it and that she had no say in her own life?!

The only thing that prevented Raven from turning Grimm into a cockroach to be squashed was the fact that Apple and Dexter were in the same room and it would destroy their friendship with her, and that was worse than any curse that Raven could come up with at that time.

Instead, Raven sat down, crossed her arms and looked at Grimm with defiant eyes, "no," she said plainly.

"'No' what, Ms. Queen?" Grimm asked.

"I won't sign the book," said Raven, "and neither should anyone."

"But…" said Apple, "but…our stories…our destinies…they…"

"They can be whatever we want them to be," said Raven, "the whole idea of us having to follow our parent's footsteps just to keep the stories alive, it's all a sham."

"I…" said Dexter, but he was interrupted by Grimm.

"I believe that you're still unsure of yourself, Ms. Queen," said Grimm, "still conflicted and confused."

"I've never been more sure of myself in my life," said Raven confidently.

"And yet you continue to deny yourself," said Grimm, "yourself and your destiny. However, there is still time to sort you out. The Storybook of Legends will be fully restored within five weeks."

"Five weeks?" Dexter asked.

"An item of such powerful magic, such as the book, requires time to be repaired," said Grimm, "yes, five weeks, if not sooner. We have that long to put you on the right path, Raven. And we shall start by assigning you to your own dorm room."

"WHAT!?" exclaimed both Apple and Raven.

"Yes, I'm afraid I'll have to separate you two," said Grimm, "I had hopes that you, Apple, would help Raven come to her senses and accept her role in life. I was mistaken."

"But you can't separate us!" said Apple, "we're friends!"

"Friends doomed to be enemies," said Grimm in a sympathetic tone, "most unfortunate, most unfortunate indeed."

At that Raven's anger boiled up again, this time so fast she felt like she was going to explode. Without a word, she hurried to the door and ran out of the office.

"Raven!" shouted Dexter as he got out of his chair and ran after her.

At that Apple glared at Grimm, "Headmaster, this is most unbecoming of you!" she said.

"Whatever do you mean, Ms. White?" Grimm asked, "I am merely looking out for your best interest, yours and Raven's."

"But can't you see that forcing her to sign the book is hurtful to Raven?" Apple asked, "yes, she's supposed to poison me, but I'd rather she do it because she wanted to, not because someone made her do it against her will. If Raven is to poison me, I'd rather she do it because she chose to do it!"

"Oh, that word, _choice_," said Grimm in an annoyed tone, "today's youth seems to be obsessed with it. We have no choice but to play the roles written for us. We must keep the stories alive, whether we choose to or not."

"And yet you choose to ignore something that will destroy those stories forever!" said Apple irately, "you say you're looking out for everyone's best interest, yet the lies you're spreading about The Worms makes you a hypocrite!"

"Careful, Ms. White," said Grimm sternly, "I'm beginning to think that Raven is having a negative effect on you. Separating the pair of you is the right thing, and I do believe I shall have to write to your mother about your most unbecoming behavior."

"And I'll write to my mother about your irresponsibility!" snapped Apple, "not just about the threat of The Obsidian Council, but also the fact that you still haven't done anything about the stonework on the towers! I'd like to see how the board of governors will react to find out that the man in charge of the safety of this school's students refuses to ensure routine maintenance. And with that, I bid you good day, headmaster!" She stood up and strode out of the office, leaving Grimm too flabbergasted to respond.

Yet the esteemed headmaster of the school soon collected himself, "youth these days, how ungrateful of the sacrifices made by their forbearers. Still, there's time for them to see reason. One way or another, they will see reason."

Apple soon caught up with Dexter, whom was hiding behind a corner as he watched Raven look out a nearby window. As she got closer, Apple thought she heard Raven sobbing.

"Is she…?" Apple whispered to Dexter.

"Yeah," Dexter whispered, "she's crying. Old Grimm must have really hurt her feelings."

"I can hear you," said Raven in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh," said a significantly embarrassed Dexter.

"Raven? Are you…you want to talk about it?" Apple asked as she walked over. She then placed her hand on Raven's shoulder in a comforting manner, but Raven flinched at the contact and shrugged Apple's hand away.

"Don't!" said Raven as she kept her back to Apple, "just don't!"

"Why not?" Apple asked, "we're friends, aren't we?"

"Friends doomed to be enemies, or so everyone says so," said Raven. She then turned around. Apple could see the mess that Raven's tears had made of her makeup, yet also the pain in her eyes that showed only the barest of hints as to the pain in her heart.

"We shouldn't be friends, Apple," said Raven as she summoned a handkerchief to wipe her eyes, "I should have as little to do with you as possible."

"Why?" Apple asked, "Raven, what is it?"

"I nearly lost control," said Raven, "in Grimm's office. He got me so mad, I wanted to kill him, and I would have if you guys hadn't been there."

"I stopped you from killing the headmaster?" Dexter asked, "I don't know if I should feel glad or afraid."

"Be afraid," said Raven, "I'm too dangerous to be around. What if I do lose control and destroy someone? What…what if I become as horrible a villain as my mother? Or worse?"

"You won't," said Apple, "because you're not a monster like your mother."

"Am I?" Raven asked, "let me ask you something, Apple. When you turned your key in the book, what did it show you? Was your destiny everything you hoped it would be?"

"Well…yes," said Apple honestly in a slightly taken aback tone, "it was everything and more. But…"

"But what?" Raven asked.

"I saw you as the new Evil Queen," said Apple, "you…your eyes, there was no love, no compassion, only hate."

"I wish that was all that I saw," said Raven, "if you saw what I saw, you'd do more than tear your page out, you'd burn the whole damn thing."

"What did you see, Raven?" Dexter asked, "tell me, please."

"I saw myself becoming just like my mother," said Raven, "and surpassing her. I saw myself becoming a cold, cruel, selfish woman with no love and no need of it, only wishing to be feared and obeyed. I saw myself invading and conquering other stories, just like my mother, but I'd succeed where she failed," she then trembled slightly at the dark vision she had during her brief recovery at the hospital, "I even had nightmares of my future; I saw myself torturing and murdering my friends," she then looked at Apple, "and you don't want to know what I'm going to do to you. You'll get your happy ending, but it won't be forever after."

At that Apple was left in stunned silence. How can this be, she wondered. How can Raven, a girl with so much goodness in her despite her dark legacy, how could she turn out to be so vile, so horrible, so…so evil?

"Well, that's it, isn't it?" Dexter asked.

"What?" Raven asked.

"That's probably why Cuthbert wants you so bad," said Dexter, "why The Obsidian Council is after you; they want you to conquer our world for them."

"You know, that kinda makes sense," said Raven as she wiped her eyes again, "wait, no it doesn't. What I saw in the book and my nightmares, there was no sign of The Worms, Cuthbert or anything resembling them. Besides, Cuthbert said that I've a bigger destiny than anything our world could offer."

"Whatever it is, I won't allow it to pass," said Apple with righteous determination. "No matter what, I won't let those horrible, horrible people do whatever horrible, horrible thing they have planned for you, Raven."

"Even if it means I won't end up poisoning you?" Raven asked.

At that Apple was taken aback and couldn't answer for a few seconds. Yes, what if keeping Raven safe from The Obsidian Council and Dai-Shocker meant that she'd never poison her? What if it meant that Apple had to give up her Happily Ever After? What if it meant that she'd never be safe again?

"Well," said Apple hesitantly, "we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. We've got bigger things to worry about."

"Yeah," said Raven. She then saw something out the window, "isn't that…it is! It's Avery Manning!"

Apple rushed to the window and saw Avery standing outside, leaning against a tree. He was looking up at the window and waved at Apple and Raven, as if he knew that they'd be at that window at that time.

Apple hurried for an exit, with Raven and Dexter right at her heels. They reached the outside and rushed to the tree, where Avery was waiting for them, while sitting under a nearby tree was Madison, reading a comic book.

"Hey there," said Avery.

"Avery!" said Apple excitedly. She quickly composed herself and regained her grace and pose, "I meant…Mr. Manning. How wonderful to see you again. To what do we owe this visit to our most illustrious school?"

"She means 'how are you?'" said Raven.

"I know," said Avery, "I'm okay, and I just wanted to see the place," he looked at the overall building that was Ever After High, "way better than my school, I'll give you that."

At that Apple frowned slightly with disappointment, "is that all you've came here for? Just to look at the school?"

"Nope," said Avery, "I also wanted to invite you and some of your friends to come visit me and my friends," he then took out a scrap of paper from his jacket pocket, "we've set up base at that location. Be there in two hours, we'll have snacks ready by then."

"Wait a second," said Raven as she looked at the paper, "what's this all about?"

"And why only ask some of us to come?" Dexter asked as he looked at the paper.

"My friends and I will answer all your questions when we have our big sit down," said Avery.

"But why can't you tell us now?" Apple asked, "who are you? Really?"

At that Avery raised his right hand and pointed at the sun, "my grandmother taught me many things that I'll always remember, one of which is thus; 'patience, like all virtues, has its rewards. But only those whom truly know the value of virtue can know the value of those rewards.'"

At that Raven and Dexter looked up from reading the paper scrap, "what does that mean?" Raven asked, but Avery was gone, as was Madison

"Where'd he go?" Dexter asked.

"Huh?" Apple asked as she looked down from the sun, apparently trying to see exactly what Avery was pointing at, "where…how…?"

"This whole mess is getting weirder by the minute," said Dexter, "and I don't like it at all."

"Me neither," said Raven, "but one thing's for sure, I'm going to be at this meeting and so is everyone else on the list. Avery's got a lot to answer for."

"That he does," said Apple, "that he does."

* * *

Two hours later found Raven, Apple and Dexter walking along an empty street in Book End. With them was Daring, Briar, Blondie, Cedar, Kitty, Lizzie and Cupid. It took a while to convince everyone to come but they did.

"Remind me again why we're here?" Kitty asked, "I have homework to finish and mischief to plan."

"I happen to have a full schedule tonight too," said Briar, " so many boys to dance with before dawn, it won't be easy."

"You're either going to kill yourself or end up sleeping for a thousand years instead of just one hundred," said Cedar.

"Is that an opining or a fact?" Blondie asked.

"A bit of both," said Cedar, "of which I believe to be true."

"So, how'd you get your brother to leave his man cave?" Cupid whispered to Dexter. They both then looked at Daring, whom was looking as if nothing was wrong as he admired his all too shiny teeth in his mirror.

"I didn't," said Dexter, "Apple did."

"Well, how'd she do it?" Cupid asked.

"I didn't ask," said Dexter.

"So, Raven," said Blondie, "what should we expect?"

"The unexpected," said Raven, "honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen. All I know is that Avery Manning promised us answers."

"He'd better deliver some answers," said Lizzie in an impatient tone as she shuffled her cards, "or else…OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" she then sliced one of her cards in half.

"Well, you might get your chance at decapitation after all," said Raven as the group approached an abandoned building with two wide front doors, "we're where we're supposed to be," she then checked the time on her phone, "and when we're supposed to be."

"But where's Avery?" Apple asked.

Just then one of the front doors opened and Dorothea Fairchild poked her head out, "oh, you guys are here, super! Come on in, we're finally ready for you."

"Ready for what?" Daring asked in an annoyed tone, "I for one have had just about enough of this nonsense!" he then slicked back a stray strand of hair, then checked his reflection again.

"I have to agree with my brother," said Dexter, "we deserve some answers."

"And you'll get them," said Dorothea, "just as soon as you come inside, we've got cookies and punch, among other snacks."

"I like cookies," said Briar, "so long as they're low in carbs and fat. A girl has to watch her figure, after all."

"Considering all the extreme stuff you do," said Raven, "it's a wonder you're not a size 0."

"All our snacks we've set up are healthy, believe it," said Dorothea. She then opened the other door, beckoning Apple, Raven and the others inside.

"'Ours not to reason why,'" said Raven. With that she and the others went inside, finding nothing but an empty warehouse floor.

"Is this your idea of a jest!?" Lizzie exclaimed at Dorothea, "for if it is, I swear, HEADS SHALL ROLL!"

"It's no joke," said Dorothea, "you're in the right place." She then took out a cell phone and activated an app. A section began to rise up, revealing itself to be an elevator. "What, did you think we'd have a secret base and not conceal the way in?"

"Impressive," said Kitty as the elevator finished rising. The cab was wide enough to accommodate over a dozen people and still have room to spare. Dorothea beckoned Raven and the others into the elevator. Once everyone was in, Dorothea pushed a button on the elevator wall and they began descending into the earth.

"How far down are we going?" A slightly nervous Blondie asked. Raven noticed that the rest of her friends were looking equally unnerved, while she couldn't deny feeling a bit apprehensive by the underground journey.

"Far enough to avoid detection," said Dorothea.

"How long have you been here?" Dexter asked, "that warehouse looked to have been abandoned for years," he then looked around the elevator cab, "yet this looks like it was installed yesterday."

"More like three days ago," said Dorothea, "we got here the night of the eclipse and meteor shower and have been busy setting up our base. Getting it in order was actually quite easy, the hard part was coming up with a name. We've been experimenting with different names, the latest one, 'The Chocolate Room,' Madison thought of that one."

"The Chocolate Room," said Apple, "after the legendary room in Willy Wonka's factory."

"That must mean you know about The Candy Man," a surprised Briar said.

"Where I'm from, everyone knows the stories about The Candy Man," said Dorothea, "just like they know the stories of Snow White, Cinderella and so on. But this story, what we're living right now, I don't think anyone will see it coming."

They soon reached the bottom of the elevator shaft and exited into a large chamber brightly lit by overhead lamps, while the floor had soft green carpeting and the walls were decorated with landscape paintings. To one side there was a kitchen, complete with a stove/oven range, microwave, fridge/freezer unit, sink and dishwasher, while the other side had a large bank of computer servers linked to a singe laptop and several additional screens on a desk with a comfortable reclining chair.

In the middle of the room were several chairs and sofas set up around a wide screen TV set, while just to the left a table had been set up, loaded with various types of cookies, pastries, a big bowl of punch and several large bottles of soda. Setting up the snacks were Tobias and Connor, while Avery was off to one side talking with Clare. Jeffrey and Madison were nowhere to be seen.

"You have been busy," said an impressed Briar.

"But how did you get all of this done in just a few days?" Dexter asked.

"My friends and I," said Dorothea, "we've got big friends in high places."

"Oh, good, you're here," said Avery as he saw Raven and the others.

"About time," muttered Clare.

"They're right on time," Dorothea insisted.

"Doesn't matter," said Connor, "so long they're here, we can get started."

"Not everyone's here," said Raven, "the doctors wouldn't let Hunter and Ashlynn leave the hospital yet and Cerise won't be home till tomorrow at the earliest. Maddie, she's…keeping them company."

"We figured some wouldn't make it," said Avery, "so we've got something set up, so until that's finished, make yourself comfortable."

"I did promise cookies and punch," said Dorothea.

"Are those tarts?" Lizzie asked in an excited tone, "strawberry tarts?"

"We've got strawberry, peach, raspberry, blueberry, black berry, apple…"

"Apples!" the princess with the fruit namesake exclaimed as she rushed over to the table, grabbed an apple tart and took a bite, happily chewing it with relish.

"She can never resist apples," said Raven.

"Guess that'll make poisoning her easier," said Clare.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" said Raven as she grabbed a red velvet cupcake, walked over to one of the chairs and sat down.

"Did I strike a nerve?" Clare asked.

"Kind of," said Cedar as she and the others helped themselves to snacks.

"So, how did you guys get all of this done in only a few days?" Cupid asked as she sampled some sugar free candy hearts, "this whole super awesome base of yours."

"You think it's awesome now?" Tobias asked, "it's not even finished."

"We've still got a lot of work to do on our bedrooms, install two additional bathrooms and a few other amenities that will make our home away from home livable," said Connor. "We're planning on a gym, a game room and even a Jacuzzi."

"But how did you do all of it?" Dexter asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kitty asked, "with magic."

"Not with magic of this world," said Raven, "now that I've had a chance to get the feel of this place, I do sense magic, but it's…strange."

"Strange is the word of this whole fudged up situation," said Clare.

Just then Avery's phone chime with an incoming text, "it's Jeffrey and Madison," he said as he read the message, "they're ready. Are we ready, Dorothea?"

"Almost," said Dorothea, she then walked over to the laptop, typed in a few commands and clicked on a file to run, then walked back to the big screen set in the middle of the chamber, "now we're ready," she picked up a remote and turned the TV set on.

When the screen fully powered up, Raven and the others saw Madison and Jeffrey, whom were sitting in Cerise's hospital room, while Maddie, Hunter and Ashlynn sat nearby, with Maddie holding Carmine in her lap.

"You receiving us, Avery?" Jeffrey asked.

"Loud and clear," said Avery, "you good on your end?"

"Clear as crystal," said Madison.

"Can you see us, Apple?" Ashlynn asked.

"Yes," said an impressed Apple. She then looked at Avery, "this is some magic you have."

"It's just two way telecommunication," said Clare in an impatient tone, "can we get on with this already? I'm getting a headache."

"You've had a headache on and off ever since we first met," said Connor.

"Don't remind me," said Clare.

"We should get started," said Avery. He then looked at Apple, Raven and the others, "no doubt you all have countless questions, so I'll start with the most obvious; what the hell is going on here? Well, the truth is that we really don't know, not everything that is."

"What we do know," said Tobias, "is that we seven," he indicated himself, Avery, Clare, Tobias, Dorothea, and then he pointed at the screen to indicate Jeffrey and Madison, "were chosen by the powers that be to fight The Worms, to figure out what The Obsidian Council is up to and to stop them if possible."

"Hopefully before they completely fuggle up this world," said Maddie as she poured a cup of tea and let Carmine drink from it.

"Without a doubt," said Avery, "anyway, we'll start at the beginning for my group. Before the night of the eclipse and meteor shower, I was just an average high school kid with no special powers or abilities."

"Same goes for all of us," said Connor, "just average kids, though we shared some uncommon similarities.

"Each of us came from a different parallel dimension," said Dorothea, "same world, different reality."

"How different?" Dexter asked.

"Very minor differences," said Tobias, "our worlds are nearly identical, even to the house in North Baltimore we all grew up in. Same address, same house, same neighbors, we even went to the same schools."

"What made my world different was that the front gate in my yard squeaks," said Avery.

"My front gate doesn't squeak," said Madison, "but the front door does."

"My house has a flickering porch light," said Connor.

"All of us share major similarities and minor differences," said Dorothea, "but one factor, the one thing that singled us out from all the youths out of every possible dimension, was our love for fairytales."

"No matter what, we never stopped believing in the stories of Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and so on," said Avery, "sure, we have other interests. I'm into motocross and cooking, not to mention a bit of everything else. You could say I'm a jack of all trades and master of none."

"I'm an adventurer by heart," said Madison, "any excuse to get out and travel somewhere, to seek all that is exciting and spread a few smiles while I'm at it."

"I'm the group's mechanic," said Jeffrey, "anything involving machines, if it's broken, I can fix it."

"Books are my true passion," said Tobias, "you can take your digital readers and shove them where the sun don't shine. Paper was, is and always will be, where stories belong. I'm also a highly competent with Japanese steel."

"Meaning he's handy with a katana," said Dorothea, "anyway, science and technology are my game, which makes me the group's tech support."

"Music is where my heart lies," said Connor, "but I'm also competent with computers."

"Martial arts, plain and simple," said Clare.

"Well, you certainly are an eclectic bunch," said Blondie, "eclectic and interesting."

"And ordinary," said Avery, "if The Alabaster Council hadn't chosen us."

"The Alabaster Council?" Raven asked cautiously, "who are they?"

"The opposite of The Obsidian Council," said Maddie, "obviously; for black and white go hand in hand like oranges and lemons."

"Yeah…right," said Clare, "moving on, we were each going about our business on our respective worlds, when we were whisked away to this place of…" she closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead.

"Is your headache worse?" Apple asked.

"No, I just can't really remember," said Clare, "sometimes it's easier to remember the place where we met The Alabaster Council, sometimes not."

"We do know that it was a good place," said Tobias, "a world if peace and happiness. It's probably as close to Heaven as you can get while you're still alive."

"While the headquarters of The Obsidian council," said Connor, "wherever it is, it must be Hell."

"Back with us," said Avery, "The Alabaster Council explained that they were a group dedicated to watching over the peace and happiness of countless worlds in countless dimensions; our worlds and this one included. As the polar opposite of Alabaster, Obsidian's mission is to spread chaos and darkness wherever it can. As such, Alabaster strives to counter Obsidian."

"But they can't do it directly," said Dorothea, "while both Councils are powerful organizations, they're bound by an even higher power to never fight each other directly, nor to directly interfere in the affairs of any given world. As such, both Council's carry out their missions with proxies. They're the ones whom can meddle in the target world and, if needed, fight each other."

"And you guys are such proxies," said Briar.

"Bingo!" said Madison happily.

"And Cuthbert is the proxy for Obsidian," said Raven.

"It seems that way," said Avery, "now, according to the rules set by the higher power, both Councils are normally allowed to send one or two proxies at a time to a world. But this time things are different."

"The Obsidian Council's alliance with Dai-Shocker totally changed the game," said Tobias, "not only does Cuthbert have The Worms to use as cannon fodder, it's possible he could call for other monster species and villainous groups associated with Dai-Shocker."

"What kind of monsters and villains are we talking about?" Daring asked.

"Creatures and bad guys that can give you nightmares," said Dorothea, "things that have no regard for innocent life, things that eat people, things that seek to turn people into monsters, things that seek to destroy entire worlds in order to remake them in their own sick image."

"Well, what do The Worms want?" Cedar asked, "if we can figure that out, we could negotiate with them."

"They want what all aggressive, invasive alien species want," said Clare, "to multiply, consume and destroy, but we'll get back to The Worms in a bit."

"After explaining the situation to us," said Avery, "The Alabaster Council gave us the choice; become their proxies or go home. If we chose to stay, we'd be endowed with different powers to suit the missions we'd go on. In this case, we were given our Zectors and Rider Systems, which we'll explain later."

"If we'd chosen to go, then we'd be free to go home," said Jeffrey, "we'd have to forget everything we'd seen, but we'd be free to return to our normal, safe lives."

"We understood the dangers involved," said Tobias, "that we'd risk never seeing our homes, friends and family again, that we'd face capture, torture, mutilation, brainwashing, death and possibly worse. We understood and we said yes."

"We were given a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a difference," said Madison, "to go on an adventure beyond our wildest dreams. What's a little torture compared to that?"

"I'd rather avoid torture," said Clare. She then muttered, "unless you count your snoring."

"I do not snore," said an annoyed Madison.

"Remind me to put a tape recorder in your room tonight," said Clare, "you want proof? You'll get it."

"Anyway," said Avery, "we said yes, were given our instructions for this mission, a few items that would make establishing ourselves here easier, a motorcycle for each of us and the promise that when needed, our Zectors and Rider Systems would present themselves to us."

"So far we've got Kabuto, TheBee and Drake," said Dorothea, "while we're expecting four more."

Just then Raven and the others looked up and saw hovering above them the red beetle that was the Kabuto Zector, the yellow wasp that was TheBee Zector and the blue dragonfly that was Drake Zector.

"With my Kabuto Zector," said Avery, "comes my Rider Belt."

"With TheBee Zector," said Clare, "is the Henshin Brace."

"Drake Zector goes with the Drake Grip," said Jeffrey.

"Are all seven Zectors supposed to be bugs?" Kitty asked as she watched the metal creatures flitter about in the air.

"Apparently," said Clare as TheBee Zector landed on her shoulder, while Kabuto Zector landed on Avery's shoulder and Drake Zector hovered near the big TV screen, at which Jeffrey gave a wave of acknowledgement.

"Okay, we've cleared up a lot," said Apple, "but there's still a lot of questions."

"Like why Obsidian wants Apple dead and me alive," said Raven.

"That, we still don't know," said Avery, "but we're looking into it."

"We do know that if Obsidian gains control of this particular world," said Connor, "they'll be able to corrupt the stories of Snow White and the others. Every child on every world in every dimension whom reads a fairytale will have his or her heart poisoned. They'll slowly be twisted and corrupted in mind and soul into things of evil and they'll spread that evil across their worlds until there's nothing but chaos and darkness."

"It would be an unparallel triumph for the forces of evil," said Tobias, "one which the forces of good might never recover from."

"Well, I guess there's no choice then," said Daring. "Raven and everyone else who flaked out on Legacy Day will have to sign The Storybook of Legends as soon as possible."

"What? No! NO!" exclaimed Hunter as he stood up, then winced at a sudden pain in his still healing torso.

"We can't do that!" said Cerise.

"Yes you can!" Briar insisted, "it'll mean that your stories, all our stories, will be safe."

"No, it won't," said Maddie, "The Storybook of Legends is a sham. There's no need for us to keep reliving the exact same story as our parents and their parents and their parents and their parents…"

"But if we don't," said Lizzie, "then our stories will cease to exist! It'd be worse than having your head cut off, at least that way there's still earthly remains. But without our stories, we'd no longer exist either. 'Poof!' just like Headmaster Grimm said so."

"Well, you don't have to worry about poofing," said Kitty, "you already signed the book!"

"And so would you all and everyone else in our year," said Lizzie, "if someone," she then glared at Raven, "hadn't decided to start a revolution!"

"Don't blame me on this!" snapped Raven as her anger rose up again inside, "I didn't know that some otherworldly dark group wanted to take over our world. How could I have known!? Even if I did, I still would have ripped my page out of the book!"

"Then I guess you had better get that page put back into the book!" said Lizzie.

"No need," said Dexter, "Grimm's having the book fixed and there'll be a small Legacy Day in about five weeks."

"That's settled then," said Daring, "we just need to hold The Worms off for five weeks and we'll all be safe."

"You're one to talk," said Clare, "if memory serves me correct, you didn't last five seconds against a Salis Worm," she looked at Raven and the others, "that's the name for a Worm that hasn't Molted yet."

"Good to know," said Raven.

"Putting the book aside for now," said Cupid, "and I've got plenty to argue about it later, we should focus on the bigger crisis."

"Cuthbert," said Briar, "that man is a real monster."

"You know," said Cupid in a mildly annoyed tone, "in my old school, there's a lot of good people would find that offensive. But you're right, Briar. This Cuthbert is a real abomination who should be stamped out."

"Assuming we find the son of a rimes with witch," said Maddie.

"All the more reason for Raven and her Rebels to sign the book," said Daring.

"No!" Raven insisted irately, "I won't sign the book, not now, not ever!"

"Not even if it'll mean you and Apple will be safe from The Obsidian Council?" Lizzie asked, "not even if it'll keep you from going 'Poof!?'"

"Stop it!" snapped Apple, "all of you, just stop it! I won't have you coerce Raven or anyone else into signing the book!"

"But, she has to sign the book!" said Daring, "if she doesn't, then she won't become The Evil Queen. She'll never poison you, I'll never kiss you to wake you up, we'll never fall in love and have our happily ever after."

"I know!" said Apple in a strained tone, "but I won't have Raven be forced. If she's going to poison me, I'd rather it be of her own free will. I just had this conversation with Headmaster Grimm and I'd rather not have it again with anyone else. If anyone or anything tries to force Raven to sign the book, I'll tear out her page myself."

"Not even to save your life?" Daring asked, "not even to save your future? Our future? Not even to save our world?"

"You seem to misunderstand a vital fact," said Dorothea, "the damage to this world has already been done. Already, drastic changes have been made to your stories, changes that would be very, very difficult to undo."

"The Alabaster Council told us a lot of things that we promised to keep quiet ," said Connor, "unless the people those secrets are about give us permission to talk."

"Either way," remarked Jeffrey, "the presence of The Worms have dragged some of your secrets into the open," he glanced at Hunter, Ashlynn and Cerise.

"And some of you have displayed abilities and skills you'd never use without the threat of The Worms," said Tobias.

"It's true," said Apple, "if The Worms hadn't attacked, then Raven wouldn't have been hurt the way she was and I wouldn't have helped her. Since that first attack, I feel like that I can do more, that I want to do more."

"What are you saying?" Daring asked.

"I still want to be queen of our land," said Snow White, "I still want my happily ever after. But I also want to help people. I…I want to be a doctor."

At that Daring, Briar, Dexter, Kitty, Cedar, Lizzie and Cupid all gasped with surprise, while on the video link, Hunter, Ashlynn and Cerise also gasped. Blondie, whom had been recording the whole conversation on her mirror tablet, had her mouth open with shock, while Raven smiled and thought 'good for you, Apple.'

"Good for you, Apple!" Maddie said before taking a sip of tea.

"Wow," said a widely smiling Apple, "that…that felt good."

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Apple?" Ashlynn asked.

"I feel sensational," said Apple, "as if a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulder, while something missing in my heart had been found. Yes, I feel like I'm more complete."

"You know, 'Doctor White' has a nice ring to it," said Briar. At that Cedar, Kitty and Lizzie, with the last albeit reluctantly, nodded in agreement.

"Well," said Connor, "if you're interested in the healing arts, the first thing you'll need is a really cool first aid kit," he then stood up, "now, where's that spare kit we brought with us?" He then started looking around the room.

"We had a whole lot of stuff brought with us," said Clare, "equipment we would need, a few personal items from home," she then glared at Dorothea, "while some of us brought enough junk to start a curio shop."

"So I'm a bit of a pack rat at heart," said Dorothea in a slightly annoyed tone, "sue me! I put my stuff away when we first set up base here so it wouldn't get in anyone's way."

"And we're glad you did such a good job keeping your stuff organized," said Connor, "now, where is that spare first aid kit? Oh, now I remember, it's in the closet." she then walked to a nearby door.

"Wait, don't!" shouted Dorothea as Connor opened the door and was engulfed in an avalanche of clutter ranging from empty shoe boxes to VHS tapes, from old tennis balls to board game boxes. There was so much of the stuff that when the deluge ceased, Connor was buried up to his chest in it.

"Found it!" said Connor as he held up a first aid kit and tossed it to Apple, "now, can someone please get me out of this pile of crap!"

"I'll get some trash bags," said Jeffrey.

"Don't do that!" said Dorothea as she rushed over and helped Connor free of the clutter, "this is my stuff and I'll do with it as I please!" she then began stuffing the clutter back into the closet, "I know exactly what's in there, so if I find one item missing, if you throw out one bit, I'll make you regret it."

"She's serious," said Apple as she looked through her new first aid kit, "one of my mother's ladies in waiting, she has her own closet full of stuff and goes berserk if anyone goes near it," she then picked up the kits' instruction manual, "wow, this is really advanced stuff."

"If it's too advanced, I'm sure there's a more basic kit in here somewhere," said Connor as he helped Dorothea shove the clutter back into the closet. Just when it seemed that the whole pile would spill out, they threw in the last bits and hastily closed the door.

"No, this is fine," said Apple as she placed the kit into her purse, "it's exactly what I need."

"What a scoop!" said Blondie, "'Future Snow White Declares Herself A Healer!' Pulitzer Prize, here I come!"

"Remind me to tell you about my friend Spectra," said Cupid.

"Uh…yeah, getting back on track," said Clare, "The Alabaster Council told us that a lot of you have untapped abilities that will surface," she then looked at Daring, "even you, pretty boy."

"Well, thanks, I guess," said Daring. He then smiled, flashing his too bright teeth.

"Okay, I think I get it now," said Blondie as she stood up and began pacing, "we all have our talents, both active and potential, and we can use them to fight The Worms."

"Not all of them," said Cerise, "those green ones, they're not so tough, but once they shed and get uglier, then we're in trouble."

"The Salis Worms are small fry compared to one who Molted," said Tobias.

"But where did The Worms come from?" Raven asked.

"From space, originally," said Avery, "no one is sure exactly where they come from, some horrific nightmare of a world probably. The world that originally created the Zectors and Rider Systems did so to fight The Worms."

"And now we have them," said Jeffrey, "and so far, we three," he indicated himself, Clare and Avery, "are the only ones whom can destroy a Molted Worm."

"But we've only fought them one on one," said Connor, "and only a few dozen Salis Worms at a time. If they seriously start multiplying…"

"We'll be overwhelmed and eaten alive!" said a slightly nervous Cedar.

"Uh…no," said Connor, "no, Worms don't eat people."

"They might eat me," said Cedar, "I'm made of wood, and a lot of bugs eat wood."

"These bugs won't eat you," said Clare, "they'll just steal your identity and kill you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Briar asked.

"All types of Worms," said Avery, "Salis and Molted, have the ability to mimic humans perfectly. They can copy your physical appearance in every detail, while at the same time copy your memories and personality. Once a Worm has copied a human, they usually do away with that human."

"Then those Worms who surrounded us at lunch," said Apple, "when they looked human, they must have killed those people and stolen their appearances and minds."

"And they'll do it to as many humans as they can get away with," said Clare, "and speaking of which, just how many people are on this world?"

"Millions," said Dexter, "and not just the main characters of fairytales. A lot of stories involve entire kingdoms full of people; men, women and children of all ages. These are everyday people, background characters that give the story more feeling."

"Well, I have a feeling that The Worms have their pick of humans to masquerade as," said Dorothea, "because if they begin to multiply faster than we can destroy them, then we won't stand much of a chance."

"For all we know, one or more of us could be a Worm right now," said Kitty.

All at once, everyone in the chamber began eyeing each other suspiciously.

"You just had to bring that up, didn't you," said an irate Raven.

…_The End Is Just The Begining…_


	5. Chapter 4: A Night Out

**Chapter 4: A Night Out**

"So, is there a way to tell if someone's a Worm?" Lizzie asked as she and everyone else continued to eye each other suspiciously. She then drew a card from her deck, "perhaps a little cut to see if everyone's blood is pure."

"There's no need for that," said Avery, "my friends and I are sure that you characters are definitely not Worms."

"How can you be sure?" Kitty asked, "how can anyone be sure? You guys just said that Worms can impersonate a human perfectly."

"For all we know, you outlanders are Worms," said Daring as he glared at Avery, Connor, Tobias, Dorothea and Clare.

"For all we know, you're a Worm, pretty boy!" said an irate Clare as she glared accusingly at Daring.

"My brother isn't a Worm!" exclaimed Dexter.

"How do you know he isn't?" Kitty asked.

"How do we know you're not a Worm?" Cerise asked via the video link.

"How do we know your puppy isn't a Worm?" Kitty accused.

"Don't you point fingers at little Carmine!" said Maddie, "he's a real wolf pup. Peas and Crackers! What's gotten into all of you?"

"Paranoia, it's threatening to tear our alliance apart before it truly begins," said Jeffrey.

"Then allow me to end the stupidity," said Madison, "Can any of you, students of E.A.H. and us Riders, can any of you confirm that any of us were ever alone? Can we all account for each other during the time since the eclipse and meteor shower?"

"Well, yeah," said Raven, "I haven't been alone," she looked at Apple, "I tried to talk to you since the night of the meteor shower."

"And I spent all my time with either Briar, Ashlynn or Blondie," said Apple. She then looked at Raven, "and I'm sorry I ignored you."

"It's okay," said Raven.

One by one, Briar, Blondie and the others accounted for themselves over the past several days, naming and collaborating alibis. Daring was the last to account for himself.

"I was in my room, thinking," said Daring.

"About what?" Hunter asked.

"He wasn't thinking," Kitty teased, "he was doing what he does best; making love to his reflection." she then giggled at her own joke.

"I do no such thing!" snapped Daring, "I was thinking about the fight with The Worms and how I could have done better," he looked at Apple with apologetic eyes, "how I could have protected you better, and I was still thinking when Dex broke my train of thought to come here."

"Oh," said Apple, "you were thinking about me the whole time?"

"He was," said Dexter. He then looked at Clare, "and before you ask, no one disturbed my brother. Only the school staff, my brother and I have the keys to our dorm room. And if a Worm tried to break in, the school's magical security system would have detected an intruder."

"And no one broke into the school at night," said Briar, "the enchanted thorn hedges that grow every night make it almost impossible to get in. Getting out, that's a bit easier but once those hedges come up, you're better off waiting until dawn."

"And up until the fight at the café yesterday," said Dorothea, "we were all down here in The Chocolate Room."

"No, we're calling it 'The Priest Hole,'" said Clare.

"I thought we agreed on 'The Zeppelin Hanger,'" said Tobias.

"'The Ironworks,'" said Connor.

"What's with those names?" Briar asked.

"References to classic metal bands," said Jeffrey.

"Why don't you call your base something simple?" Ashlynn asked, "like…I don't know…The Base, or something like it."

"The Base," said Avery, "yeah, I like it."

"Me too," said Blondie, "not too simple, yet explains this place. It's just right."

"Then it's settled," said Madison.

"Who put you in charge?" Clare asked.

"Does anyone have any other suggestions?" Madison asked, "anything other than a reference to a classic rock band?"

"I happen like the idea of The Base," said Tobias, while Dorothea, Connor and Jeffrey nodded in agreement.

"Majority rules," said Avery.

"Whatever," said Clare. "Can we get back on track? We've established that everyone at this meeting isn't a Worm."

"But they can be anyone else," said Dexter, "just about anyone in our world could have been replaced."

At that Cedar sat upright, a look of dread on her face, "oh my gosh! I just had a horrible idea."

"Well, don't put us in suspense, tree girl," said Clare, "what is it?"

"I think, and this is only speculation, nothing more," said Cedar, "that maybe, just maybe, Headmaster Grimm is a Worm."

"You think he's been replaced by one of those things?" Raven asked. A thoughtful look dawned on her fact, "that's actually not surprising."

"Why ever would you think that?" Apple asked.

"Just think about it," said Raven, "Grimm's in charge of the very school where we go to. Not only would a Worm posing as him have unrestricted access to us and every other student at school, he's also in a position of authority to manipulate the police and media."

"So he can cover up all the Worm attacks as freak accidents and stuff!" said Blondie.

"Yeah," said Raven. She then frowned, "but I could be wrong."

"Oh, here we go," said an annoyed Kitty as she filed her nails.

"No, seriously, he may still be human," said Raven, "he could have grabbed both me and Apple when we were in his office earlier."

"He did have that chance," said Dexter.

"And if he were a Worm," said Apple, "then he wouldn't care about repairing The Storybook of Legends and holding another Legacy Day."

"But why did he cover up the Worm attacks and make me look like the hero?" Daring asked, "not that I didn't mind taking the credit," he looked at Avery, "no offence."

"None taken," said Avery.

"Yeah," said Daring, "but Headmaster Grimm should have at least asked me first."

"We can worry about what's wrong with the headmaster later," said Dorothea. She then stood up and walked over to the laptop linked to the computer servers, "I'd like to show you all this."

Raven and the others walked over to the table, while Connor turned the big TV screen to face the table to Cedar, Ashlynn, Hunter, Jeffrey and Madison could see.

"I'm still working on getting my computer system up and running," said Dorothea as she sat at the table and began typing on the laptop, "but for now I've been focusing on a means to track The Worms. So far I've got a pretty accurate sensor grid covering most of Book End."

"That's how we knew that The Worms had attacked yesterday and today," said Avery.

"That's brilliant!" said Dexter.

"Thank you," said Dorothea, "unfortunately, the system isn't finished. It can only detect The Worms when they're in their natural forms and only when they gather en mass. If they're disguised, they don't show up at al and they barely show up if there's just one of them."

"So we won't know they're active until they become active," said Tobias.

"It's still brilliant," said Dexter.

"Wait till it's finished," said Dorothea, "by then we'll be able to trace The Worms right back to their base of operations."

"If we find where they're coming from," said Hunter.

"We find Cuthbert," said Raven.

"And we can end this nightmare," said Apple.

"There's still a ways to go before we can storm the enemy base," said Avery.

"But we've made progress," said Apple.

"Then we're all on the same page?" Avery asked, "no pun intended, but we agree that we should all work together?"

"Without a doubt," said Apple. With that she and Avery shook hands.

"Okay, we're now officially allies," said Briar, "now what?"

"Now we figure out exactly how we're going to win this conflict," said Avery.

"Hopefully with as little collateral damage as possible," said Dorothea.

"And as little loss of innocent life," said Ashlynn.

"I wouldn't mind inflicting a little collateral damage on that Cuthbert jerk," said Kitty as she admired her sharpened nails.

"Do what you wish to his body," said Lizzie, "but his head…"

"We know, you want to cut it off," said Raven.

"I wanted to say it," muttered Lizzie.

"Go ahead if it'll make you feel happy," said Raven in an impatient tone.

"OFF WITH HIS HEAD!" exclaimed Lizzie. She then smiled contently.

"Okay, moving on," said Avery, "the first thing we should focus on is keeping both Apple and Raven safe."

"I say we pack our bags and hide out at Apple's home," said Briar, "it's a big castle and easily defended."

"Or we could hole up at Raven's place," said Maddie, "it's an even bigger castle. Cuthbert would never ever find us there."

"No, if we run, my home and Apple's would be the first places Cuthbert would look," said Raven.

"And if we run and hide," said Apple, "who know what lengths Cuthbert would go to find us? He could start murdering innocent people, just to lure us out."

"He's already murdering innocent people with The Worms," said Connor.

"But he's got more planned than just killing people and replacing them with shape shifting bugs," said Cedar.

"He said that he has plans for our world," said Raven, "and plans for some of us."

"Then we've got to figure out what his plans are as well as keeping you and Apple safe," said Dexter.

"Why are we keeping this to ourselves?" Briar asked, "is there a reason to keep this a secret?"

"There's no reason to keep the threat of The Worms to ourselves," said Avery, "but I think we should at least consider who we should trust. Your own headmaster clearly can't be trusted."

"I fail to find a reason to argue with that," said Lizzie, "I may be insane, but I'm honest about my insanity."

"What about the others at school?" Hunter asked, "there's a lot more princes and heroes in training who…"

"Who'll get their asses handed to them," said Clare. She then looked at Daring, "just like you, pretty boy."

At that Daring looked like he was about to lose his temper and shout at Clare, but he held his tongue and looked away.

"Hey, don't leave us girls out of this," said Ashlynn.

"Well, we can't just tell everyone at once," said Cedar, "if we're not careful, we could end up causing a panic."

"So you'll have to wait a bit longer to publish your blog exposé," said Raven to Blondie.

"No big," said Blondie, "instead of an exposé, I think it'll be a big, big story that I'll publish when this is over."

"I just had a thought," said Ashlynn, "Cupid, wasn't your old school full of people with extraordinary powers?"

"Good old Monster High," said Cupid as she smiled at fond memories, "if I know Frankie and the rest of the Ghoulfriends, they'd come and help at the drop of a hat. But it may be a while before I can contact them. My step dad, Eros, had to pull a lot of favors with the other gods to open the portal for me. Besides, I've a feeling that my friends back home are having problems of their own right now."

"It's at least an iron to keep in the fire," said Connor.

"At the very least, we should tell our parents," said Briar, "I mean…seriously, why shouldn't we?" she then covered her mouth with her hand as she yawned, "sorry, anyway, we really should tell our parents. What good would it do to…" she then yawned again, "what good…" she yawned deeper and her eyes began fluttering.

"I think you should sit down, Briar," said Ashlynn.

"Before you fall down and hurt yourself," said Hunter.

"No," yawned Briar, "I'm alright…I just…just…" her eyes then closed and she collapsed, right into the arms of Apple and Avery.

"There she goes," said Apple as Briar began snorting contently, "she'll be like this for a while."

"She really is Aurora's daughter," said an impressed Avery as he and Apple gently sat Briar down in a chair.

"How long will she be out like that?" Clare asked, "because if she passes out again in a fight like she did this afternoon, then…"

"We really should do something about her narcolepsy," said Cedar.

"No, she's just pushing herself too hard," said Ashlynn.

"I know how to wake her up," said Raven. She then bent down to speak into Briar's ear, "hey, Briar? Don't you have something planned for this evening? A nightclub or some kind of date?"

At that Briar woke up with a start, "that's right! I do have a nightclub scheduled in tonight!" she then looked at her watch, "and I've only got three hours to get ready if I want to get out before curfew starts!"

"Speaking of which," said Maddie, "how is it that you keep living it up every night and get back into school before dawn? It is a riddle as perplexing as the one about the raven and the writing desk."

"That's one secret I'm not willing to share just yet," said Briar, "needless to say," she then looked at Avery and his group, "it's a secret way that Cuthbert and his disgusting Worms won't be exploiting any time soon."

"We'll see about that," said Clare.

"Okay, so, we won't tell Headmaster Grimm or any of the teachers," said Apple, "but we should try to tell our parents."

"Hopefully without making them think that we've gone completely sideways," said Dexter.

"I can tell them," said Cedar, "being cursed to always tell the truth can come in handy sometimes."

"I think we've made a lot of progress," said Dorothea. She then typed into her laptop, "I'm now sending you all an app that will allow secure communications. This way we can warn you fairytale folks about Worm attacks and coordinate our efforts in finding their base."

"And with that I think we should call it a day," said Avery, "we've gotten a lot done and there's still more, but we've made a good start."

"We should head back to school," said Raven. At that her fell fairytale characters nodded. They thanked Avery and his group for letting them come, while they thanked the students for coming.

"The doctors said we'll be ready to come back to school before curfew," said Hunter, while Ashlynn nodded in agreement.

"And I'll be okay to come back in the morning," said Cerise.

"I'd come home right now," said Maddie, she then looked down at Carmine, "but this little heartbreaker seems to claimed my lap as his territory." at that Carmine sat up in her lap, gave Maddie a loving lick across her face and then bounded out the door.

"He knows the way back to the woods," said Cerise, "my pack, we can take care of ourselves if we have to."

"Your pack?" Lizzie asked, "what's this now? And why was there a wolf pup in that room?"

"It's a long and interesting story," said Kitty.

"One that can wait," said Raven.

As she and the others said their goodbyes to Avery and his group, while helping themselves to more snacks to take back to school. Apple tried to talk to Daring, but he ignored her and waited at the elevator with Lizzie, Kitty, Cedar, Blondie and Dorothea.

"I'll take you up in groups so you won't have to leave all at once," said Dorothea, "no one saw us come in, but you can't be too careful."

"And make sure that none of you are alone!" Tobias said, "always account for each other, no matter what."

"We know," said Cupid. With that, Dorothea took the elevator back up.

"You okay?" Raven asked as she, Apple, Briar, Dexter and Cupid waited for the elevator to come back down.

"I was just…" said Apple, "Daring…I wanted to tell him that I wasn't disappointed with him, that he shouldn't feel back about the battle yesterday.

"He's just feeling a bit inadequate," said Avery as he stood next to Apple, "anyone would if they went up against an inhuman abomination and got knocked out with one blow. But he's adequate, more than adequate. The Alabaster Council said that Daring Charming has his own latent talents that will surface. He's adequate, even if he doesn't believe it right now."

"And you're adequate enough?" Apple asked, "why are you here?"

"Didn't you hear the long and detailed story my friends and I told?" Avery asked, "The Alabaster Council chose us to fight The Worm and stop the vile machinations of The Obsidian Council. What more do you want to know, princess?"

"I'm not sure," said Apple, "but I've got a feeling that you didn't tell my friends and I the whole truth. You're hiding something."

"What makes you think that?" Avery asked.

"Call it woman's intuition," said Apple. She then smiled, "but don't worry, I believe that you're here to help us. I'm just curious as to why The Alabaster Council chose you in particular? Aside your love of fairytales that is. You hardly seem like a knight in shining armor."

"And I thought the armor I wore as Kabuto was shiny," said Avery.

This caused Apple to laugh, "you really are a unique individual, Avery Manning," she said, "I think I might grow to like you."

"You're wearing me down at the same time," said Avery.

The elevator then came back down and Dorothea beckoned Apple, Raven, Dexter and Cupid onto it.

"Until we meet again, Apple White," said Avery.

"Until we meet again, Avery Manning," said Apple. With that Dorothea took the elevator back up.

"You've got a crush on him," said Dorothea to Apple, "on Avery."

"I…uh…" said a slightly flabbergasted Apple, "I…no. No! I don't have a crush on Avery."

"Sure you don't," Cupid teased.

"I happen to be destined to fall in love with Daring Charming," said Apple in an annoyed tone, "he is destined to awaken me from the sleeping curse with True Love's Kiss. We'll get married and…"

"And live happily ever after," said Dorothea as the elevator reached the floor of the warehouse, "yeah, I know. Look, considering how fudged up things already are and will get before things get better, it's safe to say that destiny has hitched a ride out of town and all bets are off. My advice, find happiness where you can," she then looked at Cupid, "am I right?"

"Well, he does like you, Apple," said Cupid, "and you do like him."

"No! I won't hear it!" said Apple, "Daring and I are destined for each other," she then frowned slightly, then smiled a bit, "but we're not a couple yet, so…I'm still a free agent and…"

"Super!" said Dorothea, "I'll tell Avery that you're available. Toodles!" With that the elevator went back down again, with a hidden floor panel concealing the elevator shaft.

"What a strange group of people," said Apple.

"They are kinda weird," said Raven, "but they're also our best bet on beating Cuthbert. We're no slouches, but until we can figure out how to destroy one of those Molted Worms, we need the likes of Kabuto."

"Or maybe we should get our hands on one of those Zectors," said Dexter. He then laughed, "no, that'd be a bad idea. Can you imagine me wearing armor like Kabuto?"

"Not really," said Raven.

"Oh, well," said Dexter in a slightly disappointed tone.

"Red's not your color," said Raven. "I'm not fashion expert, but I can definitely imagine you in blue armor."

At that Dexter laughed, "yeah, blue is my color." He then noticed that Cupid was giving him a look that could be translated as 'make your move.'

"Uh…say, Raven?" Dexter asked nervously, "you know, I was thinking…do you think…that is…if you're alright with it…"

"With what?" Raven asked.

"I was wondering…" Dexter, whom was now sweating anxiously, "if we could…if you're available and not doing anything tonight…and…"

"Wait, wait," said Raven, "are you asking me out on a date?"

"I…" said Dexter, whom looked he was either going to run away or pass out. But then he saw Cupid give a reassuring thumbs up while carefully mouthing 'let your heart guide you.'

"Yes," said Dexter in a much calmer tone, "Raven, do you want to go on a date, tonight?"

Now it was Raven's turn to be nervous. No one had ever asked her on a real date. No wonder, considering her family heritage. What boy in their right mind would want to date the girl destined to be the most evil of them all?

On the other hand, this was Dexter, one of the few people at school, other than Maddie, who was openly nice to her. It was clear that Dexter saw past the dark persona that Raven was forced to bear. He was a good friend.

But now he wanted to take their friendship to the next level. The question is whether or not Raven was ready for that? She never had time for a boyfriend before, even if the other boys weren't afraid of her. There's always a first time for everything, but is now really that time? Now, with such a threat hanging over everyone's head?

"She'd love to go out with you," said Apple, interrupting Raven's train of thought.

"What are you doing?" Raven irately whispered to Apple.

"Helping you, of course," Apple whispered, "even the Three Blind Mice could tell that Dexter likes you and you like him."

"Yeah, he's a good friend," said Raven, "but…as a boyfriend…I…I just don't know."

"You'll never know if you don't try," said Apple.

The words from her friend bolstered Raven's confidence. "Okay," she said to Dexter, "sure, let's go out tonight. Where…where do you want to go?"

"Uh…" said Dexter, anxious beads of sweat forming on his forehead again as he scratched the back of his head, "I…didn't really think of where to go yet."

"How about that nightclub that Briar's going to?" Cupid suggested, "besides, she knows how to get back through the enchanted hedges."

"It would help to know how she's able to back in after curfew," said Raven.

"Then it's settled," said Apple, "I'll tell Briar that she'll have company tonight. You two will meet outside her room before she leaves."

"Okay," said Raven, "wait, what about you? We're not supposed to leave each other alone, and I definitely don't want you to be alone."

"I'll be with Daring and Cedar," said Apple, "Convincing them to go with me to pick up Ashlynn, Hunter and Maddie at the hospital. I also want to talk to Dr. Anderson about making sure that Cerise isn't alone tonight, and I also want to talk to him about volunteering at the hospital."

"Still serious about being a doctor?" Raven asked.

"I can be a monarch and a healer at the same time," said Apple.

"Works for me," said Raven.

* * *

A short time later found them and the others back at school. Raven and Apple went up to their room. Just as Raven closed the door, she walked over to her bed and collapsed onto it.

"What's wrong?" Apple asked.

"I was asked on a date," said Raven, "and I have no idea what to do."

"Haven't you ever been on a date before?" Apple asked.

"I'm the daughter of The Evil Queen," said Raven in an annoyed tone, "what do you think?"

"Oh, well, that could be a problem," said Apple. "Still, that's no reason to delve into the depths of despair. With my help, you'll know what to do, and what to wear. In fact," she then pulled out her phone and set out a text, "I may need a little assistance on this."

Two seconds later, the door burst open and in came Briar, "you're going on a date with Dexter and need my help getting ready!?" she asked Raven eagerly, "outstanding! First thing's first…"

"Wait a second!" said Raven, "I…"

"There's no time to wait!" said Briar, "we've got so much to do and so little time!" With that she pulled out from her shoulder bag a makeup kit, "Apple, you instruct Raven on proper dating etiquette, while I begin my own work."

'What have I gotten myself into?' Raven thought.

* * *

An hour later, just as the sun was making it's final approach towards the horizon, Dexter stood outside Briar's room, waiting for Raven. A few people were milling about, while Cupid stood nearby, leaning against the wall nonchalantly and reading a magazine.

"Just be yourself and don't get stressed out," said Cupid as she continued to read her magazine, "just relax and enjoy the evening. Don't worry about trying to impress Raven, don't exaggerate, be honest, considerate, kind, attentive and most of all, caring. Oh, and don't be disappointed if you and Raven don't kiss this time. Not all kisses happen on the first date."

"I never said anything about kissing!" said a nervous Dexter, "I just want to spend time with Raven, that's all."

"Well, hopefully after tonight," said Cupid, "you'll be spending a lot of time together."

"Why are you going to so much effort to help me?" Dexter asked.

At that the winged guru of love smiled, "let me put it this way; Cupid doesn't do what Cupid does for Cupid's sake. Cupid does what Cupid does, because Cupid is Cupid."

At that Dexter frowned, "I don't get it."

"That's the beauty of it," said Cupid, "you don't have to."

Just then they saw Raven, Briar and Apple walking towards them. Apple was her usual beautiful self, while Briar had donned a red and orange single shoulder dress and pulled her hair into a French braid. Yet the most stunning vision was Raven.

Her makeup had been altered so that her eye shadow was a few shades lighter and a slight hint of rouge added to her cheeks. Her hair had been styled into an elegant braid and she now wore an indigo halter dress with violet sequences. A gold necklace with an amethyst and she wore earrings shaped like tiny green dragons.

"Uh…wow!" said Dexter, "Raven, you…you look…"

"Ridiculous?" Raven asked in a slightly depressed tone, "I tried to tell these two," she indicated Briar and Apple, "that I was fine in my normal clothes, but they wouldn't take no for an answer."

"I think you look absolutely gorgeous," said Apple.

"As they say back home," said Cupid, "Freaky Fabulous."

"I don't feel fabulous," said Raven. She then looked at Dexter, "you know, I think we should just call this off. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this is starting to look like a bad idea."

"Nonsense!" Briar insisted, "it's clear that you two want this, deny it as you will, and I want you to have a good time. Now," she looked at the time on her phone, "we should hurry. I know the doorman at the club and if we play nice, he'll let us in ahead of the line."

"But…" both Raven and Dexter tried to say, but Briar grabbed them by the arms and pulled them along, racing down the hall.

"Just have fun and be yourselves!" Cupid called after Raven and Dexter, "you can't lose."

"It's really nice of you to help them," said Apple, "especially since you've still got a crush on Dexter."

At that Cupid blushed heavily, "how did…"

"Let's just say that the past few days have opened my eyes in more ways than one," said Apple.

"Yeah, it's opening a lot of eyes," said Cupid.

"Tell you what," said Apple, "you can come with me to the hospital to pick up Ashlynn, Hunter and Maddie, and you can bear your feelings of unrequited love on my supportive shoulder."

"You're a real good friend," said Cupid, "but we'd better hurry if we're going to get to the hospital and back before curfew." As they hurried towards the front doors of the school, she frowned with a thought, "I've helped solved a lot of romantic issues, a lot more since I teamed up with Abbey Bominable to host my radio show, but I can't for the life of me figure out how Briar gets past the enchanted hedge wall."

"Here's hoping that our enemies don't figure it out," said Apple.

* * *

…**Someplace Dark…**

Cuthbert walked through an underground hallway towards a pair of heavy doors guarded by a pair of Salis Worms. The creatures saluted and opened the doors for him. Cuthbert walked into the room, which turned out to be a large laboratory filled with computers and scientific equipment of all shapes and sizes.

Several scientists wearing white lab coats that resembled business suits stood in front of a table with a large glass case on it.

"Is everything ready, good men and women of science?" Cuthbert asked.

One of the scientists, a tall man with graying black hair and a patch over his left eye, glared with his good eye at Cuthbert. On his suit-like lab coat was a nametag, 'Dr. Falchion. "Mr. Snyder," said the scientist, Dr. Falchion, "I wish to go on record that this is deviation in the plan is unacceptable! My colleagues and I…"

"You and your colleagues will do whatever The Obsidian Council pays you to do," said Cuthbert, "and you're being paid to carry out the will of The Obsidian Council. And since I am the representative of The Obsidian Council on this world, you shall carry out my will. Otherwise, you can crawl back to your superiors in Foundation X empty-handed."

"We at Foundation X do not accept threats from anyone!" snapped Dr. Falchion.

"Of course," said Cuthbert as he smiled insidiously, "you just accept any unethical, potentially hazardous project that you can get your grubby little paws, on, so long as your investors end up with a profit and you get to keep the research data. Well, Dai-Shocker and The Obsidian Council is sponsoring you, Foundation X's greatest geneticist and biochemist. We brought you here to create new evolutionary forms of Molted Worms and to perfect the Negative Seeds. There's no rush to improve The Worms at this time, but The Obsidian Council has decreed that we are to implement Phase 2, which means deploying the Negative Seeds. Now, have you done as I asked or not?"

"We have," said Dr. Falchion. He then bade Cuthbert forward to the table. He then looked at the glass case, which had several wires and tubes connecting it to the computers and several nearby chemical tanks. Within the case was a purple, green and yellow organic mass the size and shape of an avocado.

"We've improvised a means to forcibly mature the Negative Seeds at an accelerated rate," said Dr. Falchion, "This one," he indicated the avocado-like object in the case, "like the rest, need several weeks to be ready for planting. But with the new process, it can be matured within minutes."

"And you can only mature one at a time?" Cuthbert asked.

"Yes," said Dr. Falchion, "however…"

"One at a time suits me fine for now," said Cuthbert. "Mature this one, immediately."

"I must protest, Mr. Snyder!" exclaimed Dr. Falchion. "This is an entirely new process that we haven't even tested. We need more time to run simulations."

"There is no time," said Cuthbert, "you want to see if it works? Then do it now and we'll see if it works."

"Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Falchion, "I cannot, in good conscience, initiate the process without further testing!"

At that Cuthbert laughed cruelly. "I'm sorry," he said after calming down, "I'm sorry, it's just that, a member of Foundation X with a sense of ethics, it is to laugh. Considering how many unethical projects your group has participated in the past, I'm surprised that you'd be stopped by such a little thing as a conscience."

"Experimenting with Gaia Memories, Medals and Astro Switches are one thing," said Dr. Falchion, "the Negative Seeds are on a whole other level. We're talking about altering the very fabric of reality."

"Of which won't come to pass if you don't initiate the process," said Cuthbert, "all our hard work will be for naught if you don't take the initiative, now."

"Mr. Cuthbert," Dr. Falchion started.

"Do it or I'll have you replaced by a Worm!" snapped Cuthbert, "perhaps with your memories and the creature's obedience, he'll do the job you can't! Now do it!"

At that Dr. Falchion looked as if he wanted to argue further, but held his tongue. Instead, he spoke to his colleagues, "begin the process."

"There now," said Cuthbert in a more pleasant tone as the other scientists and technicians got to work, "was that so hard?"

"I'd like to go on the record, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Falchion in an irate tone, "that I wash my hands of all accountability should anything go wrong. Whatever comes of this process, for better or worse, you will be responsible for it, not me!"

"Spoken like a man desperate to cover his tracks," said Cuthbert, "I like that. Now, how does this process work?"

"If you were to attempt to fully understand what is about to happen, your head would explode," said one of the scientists, a woman in her late 20's with long black hair tined back in a single tight braid. She had medium skin tone and gray eyes behind glasses.

"We wouldn't want that, Dr. Stiletto," said Cuthbert to the scientist, "otherwise, there'd be a wonderful mess to clean up."

"Indeed," said the scientist, Dr. Stiletto, as she straightened her glasses, "regardless, in terms a layman among laymen such as yourself would understand, we are about to attempt to accelerate time within the containment unit, thereby mature the Negative Seed to the point where it is ready for planting."

"Is that all?" Cuthbert asked, "and here I thought this little science project was potentially dangerous."

"This whole endeavor is dangerous!" snapped Dr. Falchion, "you seem to fail to grasp the reality of the situation. We are attempting to bring to life a plant who's roots and spores that can alter reality on a subatomic level. This by itself carries risks of catastrophic danger and failure. But now you wish to rush it, thereby taking the danger to even higher levels."

"Your point, Dr. Falchion?" Cuthbert asked impatiently, "because if all you're going to do is babble and waste time, remember, you can be replaced by a Worm. And if that Dr. Falchion cannot deliver, then I'm sure that Foundation X can send a replacement scientist, not one as fully qualified, I'm sure, but one less prone to bouts of malarkey."

"Just so you are aware," said Dr. Falchion, "if anything goes wrong, you are to blame, not me!" he then addressed the other scientists and technicians, "is everything ready?"

"Ready as we'll ever be," said Dr. Stiletto.

"Then let's begin," said Dr. Falchion, "initialize the power sequence!"

One of the technicians typed a command into one of the computers, powering up the machinery connected to the glass case.

"All systems read normal," said Dr. Stiletto.

"Assuming you call this situation normal," said Dr. Falchion. "Now, prepare to activate the time dilation field," he then looked at Cuthbert, "I'd stand back if I were you. For all we know, this could render us feeble old geezers, helpless babies or worse."

"I'll take your word on it," said Cuthbert as he took several steps back.

"All systems still read normal," said Dr. Stiletto, "ready to proceed with the final activation sequence."

"Proceed!" said Dr. Falchion, "and may the powers that be help us all."

The technician at the computer entered another command. Instantly, the glass case began to crackle with red energy. The chemical tanks began pumping gasses of different colors into the case as the energy crackling intensified. Reality began to blur and shimmer around the case.

"No power fluctuations," said Dr. Stiletto, "time dilation within estimated parameters…"

Just then sparks flew from the machinery around the glass case.

"Turn it off!" exclaimed Dr. Falchion, "shut it down! Shut it down, now!"

"Power off!" exclaimed Dr. Stiletto. With that the machinery turned off.

"What happened?" Cuthbert asked, "did it work? Let me see the Negative Seed!"

"See for yourself," said Dr. Falchion in a contemptuous tone. Cuthbert rushed to the glass case and to his delight, the avocado-like thing had quadrupled in size, while its green, purple and yellow splotches glowed with a pulsating light.

"Outstanding!" said Cuthbert. "Prepare it for transport immediately!"

"No!" snapped Dr. Falchion, "not until we determine that it's safe to leave the containment unit. For all we know, exposure to the outside world could make the damn thing explode like a nuclear bomb! Unless that's what you wanted to happen."

"We know that The Obsidian Council has given approval for its use at this point in time," said Dr. Stiletto, "but they did not approve to use it so recklessly."

At that Cuthbert sighed irately, "so, how long will your tests take?"

Dr. Falchion was about to answer, when a technician handed him a printed report, "oh," said the scientist as he read the report, "it's finished already. Apparently, the Negative Seed will explode, but only if dropped or absorbs any force more than careful handling outside an impact proof case. Also, don't heat it too much or it'll combust, but that's about it." A pair of technicians then brought over large steel-gray briefcase and opened it, the inside lined with impact absorbing foam.

"All that is now needed is to find a good patch of soil and carefully plant the Negative Seed," said Dr. Falchion as the technicians gently removed the pulsating organic mass from the glass case and set it inside the briefcase, "the Negative Seed will do the rest all by itself."

"Splendid!" said Cuthbert as he took the briefcase, then sent out a text on his PDA, "Drs. you've earned your paychecks for the week." With that he walked out of the laboratory.

"What you pay us is never enough," said Dr. Falchion irately, "you vacuous, toffee-nosed, malodorous pervert!"

"If only he knew Foundation X's true purpose in this miserable speck of a world," said Dr. Stiletto, "he'd slaughter us in a heartbeat."

"Then he had better not know," said Dr. Falchion, "and hope that he doesn't destroy us all with his own stupidity."

* * *

Back in his office, Cuthbert waited at his desk with the briefcase. There was a knock at the door and in came a Molted Worm. The creature resembled an orange and red moth.

"You sent for me, Mr. Snyder?" the Moth Worm asked.

"Indeed I did," said Cuthbert, "The first Negative Seed is ready for planting."

"Already?" the Moth Worm asked, "but the target is still alive. And the other target is still free."

"Which is why there'll be a slight alteration to Phase 2," said Cuthbert. He then pulled up several images on his computer screens, each one showing a different location in Book End. One of the images showed Raven, Dexter and Briar approaching a nightclub. They bypassed the line and approached the doorman, whom Briar talked to and let them in, much to the chagrin of those already in line.

"You are to plan the Seed outside that establishment," said Cuthbert, "it will begin growing immediately. You are to have a detachment of your lesser comrades to protect the Negative Plant until it fully blooms. If Raven and her friends try to stop you, you know what to do. If you get the chance, capture Raven. If not, rough her up a bit, but rough her friends up even more. Oh, and if Apple White shows up, you are to leave her in bloody pieces. Understood?"

The Moth Worm then morphed into a female human with average features and attire, "perfectly, Mr. Snyder," said the woman. She picked up the briefcase and walked out of the room.

"Soon, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert, "soon."

* * *

"So, are you two having fun?" Briar asked as she, Dexter and Raven danced to a dubstep beat on the floor of the nightclub.

"Well," said Raven in a slightly unsure tone, "I really…"

"It's just…" said Dexter in a slightly unsure tone, "I mean…"

"Speak up, you two lovebirds!" said Briar, "I can't hear you over the music! How are you enjoying your date!?"

"It's not really a date," said Raven, "I mean…"

"Oh, you want to be alone," said Briar, "no big," she then eyed a group of singe boys hanging out nearby, "I think I can keep myself occupied while you enjoy yourselves." With that she happily skipped over to the group of boys and danced with them.

"She's either going to get married too early or get herself killed, at the rate she's going," said Dexter, "assuming she's human."

"At the rate she's going, I doubt she is human," said Raven, "anyway, are we really having fun here?"

"I…don't know," said Dexter, "I mean, I'm glad we're on a date, but…"

"But the whole nightclub scene isn't really your thing?" Raven asked, "it's not mine either." With that the two of them stopped dancing and went to sit down at a nearby table.

"So, what do you want to do?" Dexter asked.

"I honestly don't know," said Raven, "being the daughter of The Evil Queen doesn't give you much chances for romance and lasting relationships."

"And being a prince without a story isn't good for your social life either," said Dexter.

Just then Tobias and Madison sat down at the table, "oh, don't be so glum," said Madison, "turn that frown upside down!"

"What are you doing here?" Raven asked, "I thought you were still at the hospital."

"I was," said Madison, "but then Apple and Cupid arrived to take Hunter and Ashlynn home. And don't worry about Cerise; Apple left specific instructions that she isn't to be left alone for even a second."

"I just happen to be in the neighborhood with Dorothea," said Tobias, "just looking around. Getting The Base set up didn't give me and the others a chance to really explore the world."

"I wanted to explore too," said Madison, "but Jeffrey didn't. So he went with Dorothea and I'm here with Toby."

"Don't call me Toby!" snapped Tobias, "I don't call you Maddie, do I?"

"Of course you don't," said Madison, "we've already got one Maddie here."

"One Maddie is enough," said Raven. At that she and Dexter laughed.

"Well, don't call me Toby," said Tobias, "I don't like it when people don't use my real name."

"Sheesh, what a grouch," said Madison, "alright, I won't call you Toby." she then grinned mischievously, "I'll think of a better nickname."

"Whatever," said Tobias, "can we talk about something else? Something besides names?"

"Okay," said Madison, "read any good books lately?"

"As a matter of fact, I have," said Tobias, "I just finished re-reading 'Alice in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass,' and I'm trying to decide which one to re-read next: 'Sleeping Beauty' or 'Cinderella.' And of course, depending on which story, I next have to pick which version."

"What do you mean, version?" Dexter asked.

"Well, all the old stories," said Tobias, "they sometimes are told differently over the years. One version of Cinderella has one of her ugly stepsisters as a rather decent person. There are several versions of Snow White where the princess isn't a complete damsel on distress. In fact, one version has her facing The Evil Queen in a climatic battle to the death."

"But I'm sure you and Apple won't be forced into such a mess!" Madison added hastily as she saw the look of shock on Raven's face.

"Uh, you wouldn't happen to have read any story about me?" Dexter asked in an effort to alleviate Raven's anxiety.

"Uh…no," said Tobias, "in all the versions of Snow White I've read, there never was a mention of Prince Charming having a younger brother. Then again, this story we're living right now is completely new. Who knows, you, Dexter Charming, might have your own tale being told as we speak."

"Huh, well, that's something," said Dexter. He then cleared his throat as he cleaned his glasses, "anyway, there's something else I wanted to ask; when you transform, how do you know what to do? Did you receive special training from The Alabaster Council?"

"No, we didn't," said Tobias, "The Alabaster Council just gave us our equipment and information, then sent us to your world."

"But they did say that when each of our Zectors appeared before each of us," said Madison, "then we'd know what to do once we have them."

"Avery knew exactly what to do once he became Kabuto," said Tobias, "so did Clare when she transformed into TheBee and Jeffrey when he transformed into Drake. How did they know? Instinct? Magic? Some sort of telepathic link between the Rider and Zecter?" he shrugged his shoulders, "they didn't know and neither do I. All I and the others can do is wait for our Zectors to show up."

Just then the ground shook violently for a second, startling everyone in the nightclub and causing the music to skip a track. Only Briar was un-phased by the tremor as she continued to dance, only stopping when the music stopped.

"Hey, what happened?" Briar asked.

"Was that an earthquake?" Tobias asked as everyone began to recover from the shock of the tremor.

"There's never been an earthquake in Book End," said Dexter, only for another tremor to shake the building.

"Well, now you do," said Madison. There was then a small but brief panic as everyone headed for the exits. Once outside, Raven, Dexter, Briar, Madison and Tobias saw that the ground was being upturned by something beneath the surface, something that lurched forward with enough force to dislodge cobblestones, crack masonry, uproot trees and were apparently the source of the tremors.

"This is no earthquake," said Raven, just as something erupted from the upturned street. It was a large green, yellow and purple plant root that pulsed with an insidious light. As the root continued along its path, smaller sub roots sprouted from the main root and began burrowing through the ground.

Just then Tobias's phone rang, "it's from Dorothea!" he said, then put the phone on speaker.

"Tobias!" said Dorothea on the other end of the call, "we've got Worm activity!" she then gave a set of grid coordinates that correlated with the village of Book End layout.

"I know that area," said Dexter, "there's a park with a lake where kids race boats in the spring and summer."

"We've also got weird roots that are causing earthquakes," said Madison, "anyone want to bet that the two are related?"

"We know about the quakes," said Dorothea, "but roots? That's news to me. Connor's here with me. Jeffrey, Clare and Avery were heading for The Worms but are helping evacuate a collapsed building, they'll join you as soon as they can."

"So it's just us for now?" Tobias asked, "no problem with me," he then looked at Madison, Raven, Dexter and Briar, "you guys okay with it?"

"No one ruins my favorite town and gets away with it!" said Briar, "let's go squash some Worms!" With that she ran towards the park.

"Seriously, she's gonna get herself killed!" said Raven as she, Dexter, Madison and Tobias ran after Briar, making sure that that they kept the rose-themed princess in sight.

"Wanna bet if it'll be from exhaustion?" Madison asked, "any takes for Worm replacement? How about death by combat?"

"Either you've got a gambling problem," said Raven, "or you need to work on your sense of humor."

"Hey, you gotta work with the material on hand," said Madison, "but yeah, I do need some practice."

They soon caught up with Briar and soon after reached the park with the lake. To their surprise, there were over a dozen Salis Worms clustered around a stalk of green, purple and yellow organic mass that had sprouted out of the ground. From it, like writing tentacles, were the roots that were causing so much chaos in Book End.

"I knew it!" said Madison triumphantly as she and the others took cover behind a grove of trees, "The Worms are behind the earthquakes

"What's with that…that plant thing?" Dexter asked as he pointed at the pulsating plant.

"Whatever it is," said Raven, "I don't like it."

"Me neither," said Tobias, "it reeks of wickedness."

"Then let's go pull that weed before it gets any bigger," said Madison, "and before it lays eggs or something."

"Eggs?" Dexter asked, "what makes you think it'll lay eggs?"

"I told you already," said Madison, "I make do with the material I've got on hand."

"And just how do you intend to destroy that abomination of a plant?" Tobias asked, "because, from the look of it, it'd be a bad idea to touch it with our bare hands."

"Well, if we can't pull it up," said Madison, "then we'll kill it with fire." She then looked at Briar, Raven, Dexter and Tobias, "anyone got a match?"

"I'm fresh out," said Briar.

"I left my lighter back at The Base," said Tobias sarcastically.

Raven then balled her right hand into a fist, then opened it, revealing a small but brightly burning fireball, "summoning fire was the first spell that my mother insisted I learn."

"And who ever said that the Evil Queen never did anything good?" Madison asked cheerfully.

"Yeah, my mother, she was okay sometimes," said Raven, "but I'd feel better if we could get closer. The greater the distance, the less accurate my throw, and the damage inflicted decreases as well." She glanced around her tree cover at the pulsating plant and the creatures around it, "but those Worms, they'll make getting closer a hexing problem. What we need is a distraction."

"Okay," said Dexter, "I could jump out, make a lot of noise and let those Worms chase me."

"They'll rip you apart before you know it!" said Raven, "it's me that Cuthbert wants, and I'll bet that every Worm on our world has orders to try and take me alive."

"You're not going to sacrifice yourself like that!" Dexter insisted.

"And I won't let you sacrifice yourself either!" said Raven, "I'll stun you if I have to. I'm getting pretty good with my magic these days, so rendering you unconscious without hurting you shouldn't be too much trouble."

"Why don't I make a lot of noise and let them chase me?" Briar asked, "I'm a fast runner. I'll lead them over hill and dale and they'll never get close."

"Not with your sleeping disorder, you won't," said Tobias, "you'd pass out and they'll eat you alive." He then looked around, "where's Madison?"

Raven, Briar and Dexter looked around and didn't see Madison either. They then heard Madison shouting, "Hey, you stinking sacks of pig vomit!"

Raven and the others then saw Madison out in the open, jumping up and down and waving her arms, attracting the attention of ever Worm in the area, "your mothers were food for baby birds and your daddies were fish bait!"

At that the Worms guarding the pulsating plant all let out cries of rage and charged at Madison, whom took off running like an Olympic Marathon champion.

"That's right, follow me, you dried up stains on a hook!" Madison as she ran from the shuffling creatures, "you think you'll catch and eat me? You couldn't even catch and eat dirt!"

"And they say I have a death wish," said Briar as she and the others watched Madison lure the Salis Worms away.

"Admission is the first step to recovery," said Tobias.

"Yeah, but we've got something else to take care of first," said Raven. With that she, Dexter, Tobias and Briar rushed towards the pulsating plant.

"It's even uglier up close," said Tobias as they stood in front of the organic mass as it spread its writing roots, "and it stinks!"

"And it's getting bigger," said Dexter, "it must have grown several feet since we first saw it."

"How big do you think it'll get?" Briar asked.

"Let's not find out," said Raven as she summoned another fireball, this one bigger and hotter.

"How can you do that without hurting yourself?" Dexter asked.

"Magic, of course," said Raven as she prepared to throw the fireball at the pulsating plant.

But then the ordinary woman from Cuthbert's office appeared and grabbed Raven by the arm, startling her enough to break her concentration and vanish the fireball.

"I'm sorry," said the woman, "but I can't let you harm the Negative Plant, especially when it's getting close to bloom."

"What are you talking about?!" Raven demanded as she struggled to free her arm from the woman's grasp, "let go of me!"

"No can do, hon," said the woman, "you see, Mr. Snyder is so anxious to see you again, and I just know he'd reward me for delivering you to him."

"You work for Cuthbert?" Briar asked.

"You bet your sweet bippy I do!" said the woman. She then transformed into the Moth Worm.

"Oh crap!" exclaimed Raven as she tried to get away, yet the creature's claws were too strong.

"You let her go!" shouted Dexter as he ran at the Moth Worm, only to be knocked flat on his back by its free claws.

"Pathetic humans!" said the Moth Worm, its voice distorted by its monstrous vocal cords, "you're nothing but a means to an end."

"Is that all people are to you things!?" Briar exclaimed, "identities for you to steal?!"

"Oh, we Worms aren't the only ones who use humans," said the Moth Worm, "take the Fangire for example; they suck the life force right out of humans, leaving them transparent shells of their former selves. Then there's the Imagin; time traveling monsters whom seek out a human to grant that human a wish, then use that human to go back in time to alter the future.

"But my favorite, besides us Worms, are the Gurongi; shape shifters whom kill humans for fun. I'm not talking about killing for the sake of killing, no. The Gurongi kill in specific, organized ways according to the rules of their game, their Gegeru, the grand prize of which is the advent of the Ultimate Darkness, in which humanity devolves into a race of savage, ruthless killers, just like the Gurongi."

"You're sick, all of you!" exclaimed Tobias, "all you monsters and villains, you're all sick!"

"Why thank you," said the Moth Worm.

"He was insulting you, you stupid bug!" snapped Raven. She then charged up an energy sphere with her free hand and threw it in the face of the Moth Worm. It detonated on impact and blasted Raven away from the creature. She landed hard on her side several yards away, slightly scorched and bruised, but otherwise unharmed.

"Raven!" shouted Dexter as he got back up and rushed over to her, helping her sit up, "are…are you alright?"

"Dexter?" Raven asked in a slightly dazed tone, "you think…next time we try to go on a date, can we stay in and watch a movie?"

"You pick the movie and I'll bring the popcorn," said Dexter.

"How touching," said the Moth Worm in a mocking tone, "where's my microscopic violin? I think I'll eat your head, lover boy."

"I thought you didn't eat people!" exclaimed Raven.

"I never said that I didn't," said the Moth Worm, "even we aliens need to eat."

"Eat this!" Briar shouted as she threw a rock at the creature, only for the stone to bounce off of its armor-like carapace.

"Was that supposed to intimidate me?" the Moth Worm asked. It then Clocked Up and vanished, only to reappear next to Briar an instant later and backhanded her across the face, knocking Briar down and leaving a massive bruise forming across her face.

"You bitch!" snapped Tobais, "I'll…"

"You'll what?" the Moth Worm asked, "you'll catch me with a net? Electrocute me with a bug zapper? As soon as I'm done eating lover boy here," it indicated Dexter, "and bring Raven to Mr. Snyder, I'll be back to eat your head and the heads of everyone else. How do you like that, huh? Oh, are you so scared, you're speechless?"

"I'm not speechless," said Tobias in a distant tone, "I'm having an epiphany. It's almost…like what Avery, Clare and Jeffrey felt when…"

"When what?" the Moth Worm asked.

"When their Zecters showed up," said Tobias. Just then, in his left hand, appeared a katana-like sword with a purple handle that had a docking port for a Zecter "Now this," he said as he looked at the sword, "the Sasword Yavier, this is what I'm talking about!"

**STANDBY**

At that instant, a purple metal scorpion dug its way out of the ground and jumped into Tobias's right hand. "And here is the Sasword Zecter," he said as he gripped the Sasword Yavier point down. "Henshin!" he said as connected the metal scorpion into the docking port on the sword, the creature's tail aligned with the point of the blade.

**HENSHIN**

Tobias then rotated the Sasword Yavier blade up. Purple energy hexagons emitted from the weapon across his body, materializing into purple and orange heavy armor with scorpion features, while orange tubes connected the chest plates to the arm guards and helmet that had a scorpion tail.

"Call me, Kamen Rider…Sasword!" he said as he assumed a fighting stance.

"Wow!" said an impressed and awed Raven, Dexter and Briar.

"Your name will be mud after I'm done with you!" shouted the Moth Worm. "But I think I'll let my less evolved brethren soften you up first!"

"Hey Toby!" Madison shouted. Raven, Dexter and Briar then saw Madison, still running, still being chased by the Salis Worms, "I'm glad you got your Zecter, but, WOULD YOU MIND HELPING ME OUT A BIT!? IF IT'S NOT TOO MUCH TROUBLE THAT IS!"

"Just lead them to me," said Sasword.

"You got it!" said Madison. She then ran straight for Sasword, leading the Salis Worms right at the scorpion-like Rider. She put on an extra burst of speed as she reached Sasword, zooming past him and the Moth Worm and skidding to a halt in front of Raven, Dexter and Briar, "hey…guys…" she panted as she struggled to catch her breath, "how's it…hanging?"

"Where'd you learn how to run that fast?" Raven asked.

"Well…when you're…into adventure…you have to be…in good shape too…survive," panted Madison.

By now the Salis Worms had surrounded Sasword, yet the scorpion-themed Rider was unphased as he held up his sword. The first Salis Worm rushed at him and Sasword delivered a vertical slash that cut the creature nearly in half, causing it to explode. The other Worms rushed in and in a matter of seconds and a fury of sword strikes, the creatures were destroyed.

"Not bad, little boy," said the Moth Worm as more Salis Worms showed up and began closing in on Sasword, "but not good enough!"

"I have not yet begun to fight!" said Sasword. He then pressed the tail of the scorpion Zecter down. Purple energy crackled across his body as his armor segments separated, "Cast Off!"

**CAST OFF**

The armor segments blasted away from Sasword, each segment impacting and destroying a Salis Worm, while revealing a solid purple, more streamline scorpion-theme armor beneath.

**CHANGE: SCORPION**

"Shall we?" Sasword asked as he held his sword out in a nonchalant manner, then beckoned to the Moth Worm with his free hand.

"You are so Worm food!" said the creature. It then accelerated and vanished.

"Clock Up!" shouted Sasword as he pressed a button on the side of his belt.

**CLOCK UP**

Reality brightened and blurred slightly as Sasword accelerated into hyper time, just in time to avoid a claw slash from the Moth Worm. He countered with a sword slash to the creature's torso, delivering a considerable amount of spark damage. Sasword blocked another claw strike and countered with another sword slash, then another and another, each sword strike inflicting more and more spark damage.

The Moth Worm backed up a few paces then rushed at Sasword to deliver a double claw slash. Sasword sidestepped to the left and delivered a double sword strike as the creature passed him, overbalancing and landing flat on its face hard enough to force it back into normal time.

**CLOCK OVER**

Sasword returned to normal time as well and walked up to the creature as it struggled to get back up, "I'm tempted to let you go."

"What?" the Moth Worm asked.

"What!?" exclaimed Raven, Dexter and Briar.

"Have you lost it or something?!" Madison shouted.

"Only so you can deliver a message to your master," said Sasword as he pointed his blade at the creature, "go back to Cuthbert and tell him that my friends and I, we're serious about beating him and your fellow Worms. Then again, it's fairly obvious that he's watching right this very moment."

He then turned his back on the Moth Worm and shouted, "you hear me, Cuthbert L. Snyder!? We are not leaving until you're finished!"

"Impudent human brat!" snapped the Moth Worm. It then Clocked Up and rushed at Sasword, whom calmly raised the tail of his scorpion Zecter.

"Rider Slash," he said as he pressed the tail down again.

**RIDER SLASH**

"Clock Up!" said Sasword as he pressed the button on his belt again.

**CLOCK UP**

One again accelerated into hyper time, Sasword, turned around to meet the oncoming Moth Worm and delivered several energy charged sword strikes to the creature.

**CLOCK OVER**

Reality returned to normal as the creature exploded in a purple fireball.

"And that's that," said Sasword. The scorpion Zecter released itself from the sword and Tobias powered down to his normal attire.

"It's not over yet," said Raven. She then looked at the pulsating plant, which had grown another five and a half feet during the conversation and fight with the Moth Worm.

"I really don't like the look of that thing," said Briar in a slightly afraid tone, "it makes my skin crawl."

"I'm picking up some pretty nasty vibes from it as well," said Madison.

"Then let's get rid of it before anything else happens," said Raven. She then conjured up a 4ft wide fireball and threw it at the pulsating plant. It caught fire instantly and emitted a foul smelling smoke.

"Uh! Nasty!" shouted Dexter as he and the others backed away, holding their noses against the fetid stench.

"If I'd know it'd be this awful," said Raven, "I'd have thought of some other way to destroy it!" The burning plant then began to crumble into ashes, while the roots also collapsed into ashes.

"Let's hope you get the chance to try again," said Dexter, "let's hope we never run into any of these things again."

"Let's hope so," said Tobias.

Just then they heard three motorcycles approaching and saw Avery, Jeffrey and Clare reach the area.

"Sorry we're late," said Jeffrey as he, Avery and Clare got off their bikes, "we saved a lot of lives just now."

"And you took care of the bigger problem for us," said Clare in a slightly disappointed and angry tone.

"You can bill us later," said Madison cheerfully.

"I see you've got your Zecter," said Avery to Tobias.

"Yes," said Tobias as he looked at his sword, and then at the scorpion Zecter, which was perched on his shoulder, "and now we are four."

"And now we've got to get back to school," said Briar, "Apple and the others need to know about this."

"She's right," said Raven. She looked at Dexter, "rain check on our date?"

"Absolutely," said Dexter, "just because one night was ruined, doesn't mean we should give up on a relationship."

"Need a lift back to school?" Jeffrey asked as Madison and Tobias went to retrieve their motorcycles.

"Nope," said Briar as she pulled out her phone from her purse, "I've got this covered." She then pressed a speed dial number, "Bobby? I need a pickup at the park, stat!" She then hung up and pocketed her phone.

"Who's Bobby?" Dexter asked.

As if in answer, an orange hybrid coach with a rose motif drove up to the group and a man in a chauffer's uniform got out.

"That's Bobby," said Briar, "he'll get us back to school."

"Call us tomorrow," said Avery to Raven, "we'll set up another meeting. I've a feeling that things are only going to get more intense from here on out."

"Bully for us," said Clare. With that she, Avery and Jeffrey got on their motorcycles and rode off, while Briar, Dexter and Raven got into the rose coach and drove off. All of them were unaware of the faint pulsating of dark purple energy where the roots of the plant had been.

* * *

A short time later found Briar, Dexter and Raven dropped outside the enchanted hedges that protected Ever After High during the hours of night.

"Okay, so, how do we get back in without being torn to pieces?" Dexter asked as he looked nervously at the thorny hedges.

"Like this," said Briar. She walked up to the hedges and sang a few notes. As if the hedges were alive, they parted, forming a passage through their thorny mists to the school grounds inside. "Come on!" said Briar, "before it closes up again!" with that she, Dexter and Raven rushed through the passage, reaching the interior just as the passage closed up again, forming a solid wall of tall thorny bushes.

"How did you do that?" Raven asked, "it was some kind of magic, I sensed that much."

"There are rose vines that intertwine within the hedges and bloom at the top," said Briar, "these are special roses that bloom only at night."

"And your natural affinity with roses gives you control over them?" Dexter asked.

"I wouldn't call it control," said Briar, "more like, I was asking them to let me in. And since I asked in such a nice way, they were only too happy to oblige." She then yawned, "well, I don't know about you, but after all that excitement, I'm…I'm…" with that she closed her eyes and fell asleep. Raven and Dexter caught her before she collapsed to the ground.

"At least she made it back to school before zonking out," said Raven as she and Dexter held the snoring princess in their arms.

They then saw Apple and the recently returned Hunter and Ashlynn rushing towards them, "we heard about the tremors in town," said Apple as she, Ashlynn and Hunter reached Raven and Dexter, "what happened?"

"Long story," said Raven.

* * *

"You incompetent ass!" spat Cuthbert as he grabbed Dr. Falchion by his lab coat and threw him across the laboratory, landing hard against a bank of computers and hitting the floor.

"I asked you to do one thing!" said Cuthbert irately as he shoved his way past several trembling scientists and technicians, "one simple thing and you blew it!"

"I don't know what you mean!" exclaimed Dr. Falchion. Cuthbert then grabbed Dr. Falchion and threw him onto a table, shattering glass vials and scattering other equipment and lab notes.

"You should know," said Cuthbert, "it was your pet project that turned out to be such a screw up!"

"Mr. Snyder!" said an outraged Dr. Stiletto, "what is the meaning of this outburst?"

"You want to know what the problem is?" Cuthbert asked, "you want to know why I'm so freaking upset? I'll tell you. No! Better, I'll show you!" He then pulled out a flash drive from his pocket, plugged it into a computer terminal and pulled up a video file.

"This was taken by one of my surveillance cameras in Book End," said Cuthbert as the video showed the pulsating plant in the park.

"The Negative Seed has sprouted into a Negative Plant," said an amazed Dr. falchion as he got off from the table, "so much growth in so little time."

"Yeah, it gets big," said Cuthbert, "but just watch. All your hard work is about to be rendered nil and void," he then fast forwarded the video to where Raven and the others showed up. Madison had already lured the Salis Worms away, while Raven, Briar and Dexter where being trounced by the Moth Worm. But then Tobias transformed into Sasword, destroyed the Salis Worms, dueled and destroyed the Moth Worm.

"Here it comes," said Cuthbert as the video showed Raven and the others gathering around the Negative Plant, "this is the best part right here." the video now showed Raven setting the Negative Plant on fire.

"There, do you see!?" Cuthbert exclaimed as the video showed the Negative Plant burn to ashes, followed by the roots collapsing, "do you see?! Here, how about an instant replay?" he rewound the video and showed the burning of the plant again, "and here's a freeze-frame!" he then paused the video at the point where the plant turned to ash.

"Well!?" Cuthbert exclaimed at Dr. Falchion, "what do you have to say for yourself!? Huh!?"

"This is…unfortunate," said Dr. Falchion.

"Unfortunate?!" snapped Cuthbert, "is that all you've got to say? Unfortunate?! I'll give you unfortunate!"

"Please, Mr. Snyder!" said one of the scientists, a short man with balding hair and coke bottle glasses, "it is not my colleague's fault."

"Dr. Scimitar is right, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Stiletto, "it was never guaranteed that the Negative Plant would be indestructible."

"But the loss of the first Negative Plant isn't a complete loss," said Dr. Falchion. He then advanced the video and had it zoom in on the remains of the roots, "Dr. Scimitar, Dr. Stiletto, do you see what I see?"

"My field is in cybernetics and molecular engineering, Dr. Falchion," said the bespectacled scientist, Dr. Scimitar, "but I do believe that purple residue is what we had hoped to achieve from the beginning."

"I concur," said Dr. Stiletto, "exactly what we sought, though to a lesser degree."

"Would you eggheads please explain to me what the hell you're talking about?" Cuthbert demanded.

"It's quite simple," said another scientist, a woman with waist-length brown hair and coal black eyes. "Even a layman such as you, Mr. Snyder, should understand. It was the objective of The Obsidian Council, after all."

"Dr. Claymore," said Dr. Falchion.

"Well, do explain it to me, anyway," said Cuthbert to the brunette scientist, Dr. Claymore.

"Very well," said Dr. Claymore, "that residue is the corruption that you and The Obsidian Council wanted to inflict on this fairytale world. Had the Negative Plant grown to its full height and bloomed, the corruption would've spread on the wind via its spores, as well as further in the ground via the roots."

"Though the plant was destroyed, the corruption has infected a significant area of Book End," said Dr. Stiletto, "given time, that corruption will spread, eventually encompassing the entire village and surrounding environments. In time, Book End will become a place of utter evil, just as The Obsidian Council wished."

"Time is not a resource we have in abundance," said Cuthbert, "The Obsidian Council will expect maximum results. However," he looked closer at the image of the corruption, "this is a passable start to the downfall of this world. How soon can another Negative Seed be matured for planting?"

"At least eighteen hours," said Dr. Stiletto, "the proper chemicals for the maturation process needs that long to properly mix, not to mention recharging the maturation device."

"Eighteen hours," said Cuthbert, "yes, I can wait until tomorrow." He then paced back and forth in thought, "if only we can plant one right in that insipid school, Ever After High, that would shake things up a bit."

"We've considered it, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Scimitar, "the school's nocturnal protections make it impossible to penetrate the grounds, while the daylight protections are equally formidable."

"Not to mention that any attempt to sneak in during the day would be detected by just about anyone looking out the windows of Ever After High," said Dr. Falchion, "no, we'll have to be a bit more creative if we are to solve this particular conundrum."

Just then one of the Salis Worms in human disguise walked up to Cuthbert and whispered into his ear.

"You have?!" he exclaimed joyfully, "show it to me!"

The disguised Worm then plugged a video card into another computer terminal, the video then showed Briar, Raven and Dexter standing in front of the enchanted hedges. Briar then sang and the path through the thorny barrier opened up and they went through it.

"There is a way in!" exclaimed Cuthbert happily.

"Yes," said Dr. Stiletto thoughtfully, "but how do we utilize it? No doubt that only Ms. Beauty and her bloodline have the ability to open such a passage."

"Then how do we duplicate that ability?" Dr. Scimitar asked.

"I believe, my fellow practitioners of ethical-free science," said Dr. Claymore as she smiled wickedly, "that I have and idea."

…_The End Is Just The Begining…_


	6. Chapter 5: The Wager

**Chapter 5: The Wager**

"FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS JOURNALISTIC!"

"What the…!?" Raven asked groggily as she and Apple woke up to the sound of Blondie yelling at the top of her lungs, "what time is…"

"6:30 on a Sunday morning," said Apple as she looked at the clock. She glanced out the window to see that the sun was just beginning to rise and the enchanted hedges were down for the day

"If this is Blondie's idea of a just right wakeup call," said Raven, "I'll see that she oversleeps everyday for the rest of her life."

Just then Blondie barged into their room, followed by Ashlynn, the former fully dress and the latter wearing a blue bathrobe over her pajamas.

"You're not going to believe this," Blondie said irately as she tossed a newspaper onto Apple's bed, "today's morning edition, just delivered."

"Good grief, what now?" Apple asked as she squinted at the headlines, "I can't see right now, where are my glasses?" she then pulled out her reading glasses, put them on and read the paper, "oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

"What excuse did Headmaster Grimm give this time?" Raven asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"An migrating herd of gophers," said Apple. She then balled up the newspaper and threw it across the wall, "of all the lies Headmaster Grimm could have told!"

"It's pretty original, you got to admit that," said Raven as she got out of bed and retrieved the newspaper.

"It's a complete falsehood!" said Apple, "for one thing, gophers are solitary creatures; they don't normally interact with each other until their mating season, and it's nowhere near their mating season!"

"How do you know if it's gopher mating season or not?" Raven asked.

"I know animals," said Apple, "trust me."

"Okay," said Raven, "so, what are we going to do about this? Headmaster Grimm can't keep lying to everyone. The truth has got to come out sooner or later."

"Hopefully sooner," said Ashlynn, "before he tells another outrageous lie."

"Outrageously stupid, you mean," said Blondie.

Just then Maddie and Briar walked into the room, both still dressed for bed, "peas and crackers, it's too early for such nonsense," said a yawning Maddie.

"Coming from you, that's serious," said Briar.

"Thank you," said Maddie as she pulled out her faithful teapot and cup. "On second thought," she then put away the teapot and pulled out a coffeepot and poured herself a cup of hot java, then poured a smaller cup for Earl Gray.

"When you drink coffee," said Raven, "I know it's serious."

"Darn right it's serious," said Maddie. She then sipped her coffee, "so, when do we go to Headmaster Grimm and demand that he tell the truth?"

"Let the rest of us wake up first," said Briar, "I'm still worn out from last…last…" she yawned and fell asleep, falling headfirst onto Apple's bed, snoring away without a care in the world.

"I hope you've got more coffee in that hat of yours, Maddie," said Raven, "we're going to need it."

* * *

A short time later found Raven, Apple, Maddie, Briar, Ashlynn, Blondie, all fully dressed and awake, accompanied by Hunter, Dexter, Daring, Cedar, Cupid, Lizzie, Kitty and the recently returned and fully healed Cerise, as they navigated the school corridors with determined confidence in their purpose.

"Okay, remember the plan," said Raven, "let Apple and me do the talking, but back us up if we need you. Any questions?"

"Yeah, when did you decide to be in charge?" Lizzie asked, "not that I don't appreciate someone taking the initiative, but why you?"

"Because out of all of us," said Raven, "I'm one of two people whom are in the most danger."

"Remember," said Apple, "Cuthbert and The Obsidian Council wants me dead and Raven for some unknown, horrible purpose."

"Everyone else is equally in danger," said Raven, "but until we get a better idea what Cuthbert is up to, Apple and I are the ones with the most to lose." She then stopped, while Apple and the others stopped in reaction as Raven looked at Lizzie, "or did you forget that wonderful conversation we had with Avery and his friends yesterday."

"The conversation has been burned into my memory," said Lizzie, "like a blue hot branding iron."

"Don't you mean red hot?" Dexter asked in a slightly uncomfortable manner.

"Normally, yes," said Lizzie as she took out her deck of cards, "but blue is hotter than red."

"I'm just surprised," said Dexter, "that you'd use another color as a metaphor."

"It just seems to out of character," said Kitty.

"That's happening to a lot of people around here these days," said Lizzie.

"Looks like we're in luck," said Cupid as she pointed ahead, "instead of paying a visit to the headmaster, he's coming to see us."

Indeed, Headmaster Grimm was walking towards Raven, Apple and the others, a look of smug satisfaction on his face that turned to surprised delight at the sight of the students.

"Ah, Ms. Queen and Ms. White," said Grimm in a all to pleased tone, "just the pair of young ladies I wanted to see," he then noticed Maddie, Briar and the others, "and so many of your friends are also here. Just as well, for this whole nonsense of 'Royals' and 'Rebels' shall soon be cleared up and we can all get back to normal."

"With all due respect, Headmaster," said Hunter, "but things are about as far from normal as it can get."

"We need to have a serious talk, Headmaster Grimm," said Raven.

"Indeed we do, Ms. Queen," said Grimm, "indeed we do. It should come as good news to you that the repairs to The Storybook of Legends are proceeding well ahead of schedule. The book should be fully restored by the end of next week and the new Legacy Day ceremony can be held immediately afterwards."

"I…are you still harping on that crap!?" exclaimed an outraged Raven, "you're still carrying on about that damn book!?"

"With all due respect, Headmaster Grimm," said Cedar, "but is this really the time to try and redo Legacy Day? I can't tell a lie and, well, that's just plain stupid!"

"Which is why you're not in charge of this fine establishment of education, Ms. Wood," said Grimm, "whereas I am, and the new Legacy day shall proceed as planned. But first thing's first; Ms. White and Ms. Queen. All arrangements for your new, single, dorms have been made and you may move your belongings after breakfast."

"Say what now?!" exclaimed Maddie.

"You can't split them up!" exclaimed Hunter, "they'll be alone!"

"We're not supposed to be alone, it's just not safe," said Cedar, "none of us are safe as long as The Worms are here."

"My dear Ms. Wood," said Grimm, "I'm pleased to hear you overcoming your inability to lie, but there's a time and a place for everything."

"What?" Cedar asked, "wait a splinter, I'm not lying! The Worms are real!"

"And we're all in mortal danger, headmaster," said Cupid, "and considering that I'm somewhat immortal, that's saying something."

"You're really immortal?" Dexter asked.

"It's a demigod thing," said Cupid, "not that big a deal. But my point is that The Worms are real and denying them and having the media cover them up won't help anyone."

"Trying to avoid a panic and mass chaos is one thing," said Blondie, "but the people deserve the truth. They have the right to know that they're in danger, while carelessly lying to them, well, that's just not right! Not right at all!"

At that Grimm sighed with disappointment, "Ms. Locks," he then looked at Cupid and Cedar, "all three of you, have you even seen these so called 'worms?'"

"No," said Cedar, "but Raven and the others have."

"We've seen those abominations with our own eyes, headmaster," said Lizzie.

"Some of us have even destroyed a few," said Dexter.

"Young master Charming," said Grimm, "I'm surprised and disappointed that you are caught up in what is clearly a case of group hysteria," he then glared at Raven, "no doubt caused by one troubled young lady who clearly does not know what's best for her."

"Raven's in the most danger here!" said Apple, "that maniac, Cuthbert, he wants her for some horrific, nefarious reason."

"He also wants you dead," said Raven. She then looked at Grimm, "and who knows what he's planning for the rest of the world? By now he's had hundreds, maybe thousands killed."

"Ms. Queen," Grimm said irately, "if there had been a spree of murders, don't you think the authorities would inform the general public?"

"They wouldn't since you're covering everything up!" said Blondie, "and with really bad lies at that. I mean, seriously, who's going to believe that yesterday's tremors were caused by a heard of gophers?"

"Gophers are solitary creatures outside mating season!" said Apple. "I will not stand for any more lies, Headmaster! And you still haven't done anything about the stonework on the towers!"

"And you, Ms. White, are behaving in an utterly irrational manner!" said Grimm irately, "I shall be writing to your mother about this."

"And I'll be writing to my mother about your incompetence!" said Apple defiantly, "not to mention my family lawyers."

"You'll get slapped with a criminal negligence lawsuit so fast," said Maddie as she pulled out her teapot again, "you'll think you're a snowball in August!"

"What does a snowball in August have to do with a lawsuit?" Cerise asked.

"It doesn't stand much a chance in August," said Raven, "and I'm guessing it means that Headmaster Grimm won't have much of a chance once taken to court."

"Correctamundo!" said Maddie as she poured tea for herself and Earl Gray.

"Wait a second," said Ashlynn, "can we think reasonably before we start suing each other?"

"We're not the ones being irrational here," said Briar.

"So say the irrational," said Grimm.

"At least give us a chance to prove ourselves," said Ashlynn, "you keep saying that there's no danger, Headmaster Grimm, but what if there really is? Wouldn't it be wise to seek definite proof either way?"

"If we're wrong, we're wrong," said Raven, "and we'll never bring it up again. But if we're right, then you need to admit to the media, the authorities and everyone else that you were wrong and that we're all in danger."

At that Grimm glared at Raven with outraged eyes, as if she had offended him by even thinking of such a statement. But then he relaxed and smiled, "very well, you may prove that this so called danger exists. And when all is said and done and there's no danger, you will all write a ten page essay on why it is wrong to give in to mass hysteria."

"And you have to let Apple and Raven stay roommates if we're right!" Dexter insisted.

"And if you're wrong," said Grimm, "they'll be moved to opposite ends of the dormitories and have their schedules changed so they see as little of each other as possible."

"Deal!" said Raven. With that she and Grimm shook on it.

"Now," said Grimm, "where is this evidence of these alleged Worms?"

"You'll get it," said Raven. She then looked at Apple, "my phone is charging, you got yours?"

"I'm way ahead of you," said Apple as she pulled out her phone and dialed, "hello…Avery? It's Apple…yes, I'm fine, how are you?…and how are the others…we're fine, but we're in a bit of a bind. Can you and either Jeffrey or Clare or Tobias come over to school? And bring proof of The Worms, I'll explain when you get here…oh, of course…yes…yes, naturally. We'll see you in a bit!" with that she hung up, a cheerful smile on her face.

"I take it that Avery's on his way," said Raven.

"He, Jeffrey, Tobias and Clare should be here in half an hour," said Apple, "they're brining undeniable proof of The Worms, of Cuthbert and The Obsidian Council, and Dai-Shocker as well."

"What utter nonsense," said Grimm in a disapproving manner.

"You won't be so disbelieving when you see with your own eyes what we've seen," said Raven.

"Perhaps," said Grimm, "but I'd start packing your belongings anyway, just to be on the safe side." With that he confidently strode down the corridor away from Apple, Raven and the others.

"Oh, I'd like to do something terrible to that fat, pompous idiot," Cerise growled.

"How can he be so blind to the truth?" Blondie asked, "either he knows and is covering up the truth for some irrational and illogical reason, or he's really, really stupid. Or just plain crazy."

"No, he's got his reasons," said Raven, "wrong reasons, but they're right to him."

"We'll just have to prove him wrong," said Apple

* * *

A short time later found Apple, Raven and the others waiting outside the front steps of the school as four motorcycles approached the front drive. The motorcycles pulled up at the front steps and their riders took off their helmets, revealing Avery, Clare, Jeffrey and Tobias.

"So this is Ever After High," said Tobias as he admired the architecture of the legendary school, "where young characters learn and become the next generation of fairytales. Fascinating, undeniably fascinating."

"Eh, I've seen better," Clare said in an indifferent tone.

"Where?" Jeffrey asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," said an annoyed Clare.

"Yes, I'd like to know," said Jeffrey.

"Oh put a sock in it, you two," said Avery, "we're here to help our new allies."

"And your assistance is most welcome," said Apple as she walked towards Avery and the others, "thank you for coming."

"Thank you for inviting us," said Avery, "When you said that your headmaster was threatening to force you and Raven into being alone, I knew that he had to be made to see reason."

"I'll say he's got to see reason," said Jeffrey, "just how big of an idiot can he be? And that cruddy story he put in the papers; gopher herd my eye!"

"We'll open his eyes," said Tobias. He then held up a small briefcase, "we've got all the proof we need."

"And if he doesn't believe it," said Clare, "then it only proves that he really is an idiot."

"I hope so," said Raven, "there's a lot more at stake than just Apple and me moving into separate dorm rooms."

* * *

It wasn't long before Apple, Raven and the others showed Avery, Jeffrey, Clare and Tobias to Headmaster Grimm's office. Avery and Clare were presenting their case to the headmaster, with Apple and Raven stood to one side and watched, while Tobias and Jeffrey, Briar, Dexter and the others waited outside the office.

First, Avery and Clare showed photographs of The Worms, taken during the battles on Friday and Saturday, as well as photographs of Cuthbert. They also showed holographic videos of the battles, specifically of Kabuto, TheBee, Drake and Sasword fighting and destroying the Molted Worms.

"Nice vids," said an impressed Blondie as Grimm watched the holographic battles, "and nice editing, who's your producer?"

"And just how did you get such footage?" Lizzie asked.

"Uh, yeah, we forgot to tell you about that," said Jeffrey, "every time we responded to a Worm attack, Dorothea sent out these little hovering cameras, about the size of bumblebees but so quiet you'd barely notice them unless you're looking right at them."

"The cameras are powerful enough to record the most minute of detail," said Tobias, "and are highly durable. You could hit one with a sledgehammer and it wouldn't even scratch."

"Well, I just hope that they're good enough to convince Headmaster Grimm," said Cerise, "he's a stubborn one."

"They'd better be good enough," said Clare, "that and a lot of other stuff. All our technology was given to us by The Alabaster Council."

"Just relax," said Jeffrey, "a blind man would be convinced by what we've got."

At that moment, Grimm finished watching the footage. The headmaster leaned back in his chair and stared at Avery, Clare, Apple and Raven.

"Well, Headmaster?" Apple asked.

"Is that all you have, young man?" Grimm asked Avery.

"That's all the footage of The Worms and images of Cuthbert L. Snyder that we have," said Avery, "for now. Knowing that sadistic bastard, it's only a matter of time before he launches another attack."

"And this Obsidian Council," said Grimm as he leaned his hands on his desk, placing his fingertips together, "what can you tell me of them?"

"They seek to corrupt this world for their own nefarious purpose," said Avery, "to corrupt the hearts and minds of every child who reads the stories of Snow White, Cinderella and so on."

"They also want Apple dead and Raven alive," said Clare, "why they want her alive, we don't know. But we do know that they'll stop at nothing to get what they want, even so far as allying with Dai-Shocker. Do you want to know about those bastards?'

"No, I've heard enough," said Grimm as he stood up. He walked over to the window and looked out for a few seconds before turning around to face Avery and Clare, "I've lived a very long time, young ones. I've seen and done things beyond the wildest dreams of the average boy and girl. I've witnessed the eternal cycle of fairytales play out, I've experienced so much."

He then frowned irately, "but until today, I've never experienced such a compilation of lies and falsehoods!"

"Excuse me!" exclaimed Clare, while Avery, Apple and Raven stood mutely for a few seconds.

"You heard me, young lady!" said Grimm, "how dare you and your gaggle of miscreant misfits come to this world of peace and harmony in an attempt to sow seeds of chaos and discord?!"

"Chaos and discord?" Raven asked in an outraged tone, "they're here to help us!"

"You would do well to hold your silence, Ms. Queen," said Grimm, "and you too, Ms. White. You're in hot enough water as it is."

"And you'll be dumped headfirst into boiling oil if you don't accept the truth, fat man!" said Clare.

"Is that a threat, young lady?" Grimm asked.

"No, this is a threat," said Clare as she balled up her first, "I'm gonna hit you so hard, your great-grandparents will have whiplash!"

"Easy, Clare!" said Avery, "we're not here to inflict violence!"

"Funny, I thought this jackass was the one handing out the invitations," said Clare as she sat down.

"There's a time and a place for everything," said Avery. He then looked at Grimm, "I take it, sir, that you don't believe myself and my associates."

"Indeed, young man," said Grimm, "I find your story completely baseless and an irresponsible cry for attention. It's clear that all you seek is to disrupt the harmony of the stories. In fact," he glared at Raven, "I wouldn't be surprised if a certain someone conjured you up just to cause trouble."

"I didn't bring them here!" exclaimed Raven, "they came to help us!"

"Headmaster Grimm!" said an outraged Apple, "how dare you accuse these brave, selfless and true people of causing trouble!? I would be dead if it weren't for Avery and his friends, while Raven would be suffering some unimaginably horrible fate at the hands of the abomination that is Cuthbert L. Snyder."

"Nonsense," said Grimm stubbornly as he crossed his arms, "utter nonsense. And I'll remind you two again to hold your silence!"

"You bloated sack of proto-plasum!" exclaimed Clare as she stood up again, "are you crazy? Or just plain stupid!"

"What more do we have to do to convince you that your world is in danger?" Avery asked.

"The only dangers to the world are rogue and disruptive elements whom seek to disrupt the natural order of the stories," said Grimm, "Raven Queen is such a disruptive element, yet she is an essential element in the natural order. I had hoped that she would see reason, but it's become clear that drastic measures must be taken in her case.

"As for you, Mr. Manning, assuming that is your name, I humbly suggest that you and your friends return from whence you came before you cause any more trouble!"

"I'm afraid I cannot do that," said Avery, "and neither can my friends leave. We were given a mission by The Alabaster Council, an authority higher than yours. We were chosen to protect this world from The Obsidian Council and we'll uphold that duty until the mission is completed or we die trying."

"Hopefully it won't come to that," said Clare, "the point is that this world is in grave danger and denying it will only make things worse. You want proof that we're telling the truth? I'll give you proof!" she then held out her hand expectantly, but then frowned when nothing happened after a few seconds, "wait, wait a second, it's coming," she the held out her hand again, but nothing happened.

"It should have come," said Clare as she looked at her empty hand, "TheBee Zecter, it should have come when I called for it with my mind," she then looked at her other empty hand, "and my Henshin Brace didn't come either."

Outside the office, both Jeffrey and Tobias tried to summon their Zecters but neither Drake Zecter or Sasword Zecter appeared.

"I don't get it," said Jeffrey, "why didn't our Zecters or Rider devices appeared?"

"I'm assuming that they'll only come when we're facing Worms or an equally menacing threat," said Tobias.

"Well, that sucks," said Cupid.

"If this is an attempt at humor, Ms. Lawson," said Grimm, "I'm hardly amused."

"Oh, you'll be smiling when I punch out all your permanent teeth!" exclaimed Clare, she then rushed at Grimm with her fists raised, only to be restrained by Avery and Raven.

"What the hell's wrong with you!?" exclaimed Raven, "trying to beat the headmaster up won't solve our problem!"

"Oh and you wouldn't try to knock some sense into this beached whale of a teacher!?" Clare asked, "if you were in my position, you'd curse him into a jelly, and then you'd spread that jelly on toast!"

"I'd never do that to anyone!" snapped Raven, "even if they deserved to suffer, I'd never inflict that suffering!"

"Oh yes you would!" said Clare, "and you'd enjoy it too!"

At that Raven felt as if a heavy blow had been struck to her heart. Deny it as she would, Raven did want to hurt Grimm. The headmaster's constant refusal to accept the truth had made her anger rise up once again, leading to thoughts of torturing Grimm into seeing reason, even if it left permanent damage in mind, body and soul. Deny it as she would, Raven knew that she'd enjoy inflicting the torture.

"I…I…" said Raven, but she failed to find the words to express the pain in her heart.

"You shouldn't have said that," Apple said to Clare, "she's going through a tough enough time as it is."

"I…you're right," said Clare as she calmed down, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Raven."

"I…I need a moment," said Raven as she walked out of the office, then broke into a run down the corridor.

"Raven!" exclaimed Maddie, "bread and butter, girl! We're not supposed to be alone!" with that she ran after Raven, followed by Dexter and Cerise.

"I hope your satisfied, you old bastard!" said Hunter as he, Ashlynn, Cedar, Jeffrey and Tobias barged into the office.

"Mr. Huntsman!" exclaimed Grimm.

"No, _you_, Headmaster Grimm!" exclaimed Cedar, "you're being…well…as ass! There! I've said it, and I'm glad I said it!"

"Ignoring the danger and putting everyone down is the sign of an idiot," said Ashlynn, "we're all in danger!"

"There is no danger!" exclaimed Grimm, "especially none at this institution of learning!"

"It wouldn't surprise me if Cuthbert targets this school next," said Avery, "in fact, I'll bet that he does attack Ever After High."

"Is that so?" Grimm asked, "well then, if there is an attack on this school within the next…oh, say…" he looked at the clock, which showed 8:37 a.m., "within the next twenty four hours, I'll recant everything I said in the media and admit publicly that I was wrong." He then glared at Avery, "but if there is no attack, if there is not even a whisper of trouble in that span of time, you and your friends must leave this world and never return!"

"You've got yourself a bet," said Avery.

"What? No!" exclaimed Apple, "you can't accept that bet!"

"There's no telling what Cuthbert and The Worms will do!" said Jeffrey, "they might just be laying low."

"I wouldn't put it past the enemy to try and lull us into a false sense of security," said Tobias, "Avery, withdraw from the wager."

"We'll find another way to convince this cock-hydrant," said Clare.

"Nope, a bet's a bet," said Avery, he then looked at Grimm, "you wouldn't mind if I wait around the school for the next day? Just to keep an eye out fro trouble?"

"Not at all," said Grimm, "it will give me a chance to keep an eye on you as well, young man."

"At least we'll be on an even playing field," said Avery, "then again, who watches the watcher?"

"You'll find that this watch isn't one to be trifled with," said Grimm.

"We'll see," said Avery. With that he walked out of the office, with Apple, Clare and the others shortly behind.

"Why did you do that?!" Apple demanded as they walked through the corridors, "you do realize that if Cuthbert decides to play it safe for just one day, you'll have to leave. My friends and I will be on our own."

"We won't leave," said Avery, "not the way that Grimm thinks we will."

"Oh, so you lied about the bet," said Clare, "nice."

"That's both dishonest and clever at the same time," said Cedar.

"I'd rather you didn't make that bet," said Daring, "if Headmaster Grimm really wants you gone, he has the means to keep you away."

"But we're here now," said Avery, "so we should make the best of it."

"But still, why did you agree to such a wager?" Apple asked.

Avery stopped in front of a window where the sun was brightly shining through, "among the many lessons my grandmother taught me, one came to mind as I was talking to the headmaster," he then pointed at the sun, "'Sometimes you have to risk everything, to go all in and take the plunge. Sometimes, that's the only way to win.'"

"Your grandmother was either a true savant or a true psychopath," said Lizzie.

"I sometimes wondered that myself," said Avery.

Just then Raven, Maddie and Dexter walked up to them, "go on, tell them," said Maddie, "or I'll tell them."

"Tell us what?" Cerise asked.

"Raven, what's wrong?" Cupid asked.

"What is going on, Dexter?" Daring asked.

"I don't know," said Dexter, "all I know is that Maddie and me, we caught up with Raven and Maddie said that she had to tell everyone or it's only going to get worse."

"Is this about what I said in the fat man's office?" Clare asked, "I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that, Raven. I just…I sometimes say horrible things without thinking about it first."

"No, it's not your fault," said Raven, "I…everyone, I think I'm turning evil."

"What? No!" said Dexter, "you're not going evil!"

"Then why do I keep getting these flashes of anger and hate within my heart?" Raven asked, "why is it that whenever someone strikes a nerve with me, I keep thinking about hurting that person? Why do I want to make those who offend me suffer in mind, body and soul? And why do I keep having flashes of megalomania and narcissism like my mother? If I'm not becoming like here then what's wrong with me?"

"I don't know," said Apple, "but you're not turning into your mother."

"How do you know?" Raven asked, "my mother never talked that much about when she was here at Ever After High, about what she went through before she signed The Storybook of Legends. For all I know, she started out like me, not wanting to hurt people but with constant feelings of hate, rage, vanity and jealousy. For all I know, she gave in to those feelings and turned dark, and I don't know how much longer I can last before I give in too."

"Stop it! Right now!" said Clare, "first of all, if you keep worrying about this, you'll only make yourself feel even worse. That's one of the first things I learned from my therapist," she looked at Avery, "I never had a grandmother who taught me lessons of cryptic wisdom, but I had a good psychologist. He told me that getting trapped in negative thought cycles can amplify the problem. Just force yourself to think of something else and you will. Think of something simple but positive."

"Like that time when you accidentally knocked over a teapot and I cut my hand cleaning it up," said Maddie. She then took off her left glove and revealed a scar across the web of flesh between her thumb and forefinger, "you held my right hand while the doctors stitched my left hand up. It didn't hurt that much, but I said that the next time you break something, you clean it up. You laughed so hard, you nearly knocked over a tray of instruments."

At that Raven laughed again, "yeah, that was funny." She then frowned slightly, "but still, I'm scared. I'm scared that no matter how much I fight it, I'll still go dark."

"You haven't gone dark yet," said Dexter.

"Do you have any negative feelings towards any of us?" Briar asked.

"No," said Raven.

"And do you feel like hurting any innocent life form just for the sake of inflicting pain?" Cupid asked, "and on a related matter, do you feel like you're more beautiful and powerful than anyone else in the entire world and that anyone even thinking about challenging your supremacy should be punished?"

"Not right now, I don't," said Raven, "but…"

"But nothing," said Apple, "We all have darkness within, even me. Why, I wanted to slap Headmaster Grimm silly when he called Avery and the others liars."

"Glad you care so much," said Clare.

"The point, Raven," said Apple, "is that you are stronger than the darkness that's creeping into your heart, even if that darkness is a part of you."

"But what if I lose control and end up hurting someone I care about?" Raven asked.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," said Apple.

"Or she should see a psychiatrist," said Jeffrey, "maybe get a prescription or something."

"I wouldn't be so quick to seek medication," said Apple, "there's always the risk of adverse side effects. The cure could be worse than the sickness."

"Assuming I'm just crazy," said Raven, she then smiled, "then again, we're all crazy in our own ways."

"I'm living proof," said Maddie as she sipped some tea.

"I'm okay, everyone," said Raven, "seriously. So, what happened with the headmaster?"

"We've basically got one day to prove to Grimm that we're telling the truth," said Clare, "that the world is in mortal danger."

"And the only way he'll accept the truth is if there's a Worm attack," said Jeffrey, "and who knows when that will happen?"

"Oh, and we can't summon our Zecters unless there _is_ a Worm attack," said Clare, "you learn something new everyday."

"Okay," said Raven, "so, what do we do until then?"

"We wait," said Avery, "Tobias, Jeffrey, I want you to go back to The Base and work with the others in patrolling the town. Clare and I will stay here at the school to keep watch. At the slightest whisper of Worm activity, we'll all rush in and show that pompous fool of an educator the truth."

"Sounds like a winner to me," said Jeffrey.

"So long as I get to do the dragging, I'm happy," said Clare, "but what do we do while we're waiting?"

"Oh, I know exactly what you're going to do while waiting," said Briar eagerly, "have I got an itinerary for you two."

"Should I feel worried?" Clare asked.

"Hey, you're the one staying, not us," said Jeffrey, while Tobias nodded in agreement.

"Want to switch?" Clare asked. But by then Jeffrey and Tobias were already heading for the front door. "Just great," she said irately.

* * *

…**The Enemy Lair…A Few Hours Later…**

"Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Stiletto, "the next Negative Seed is ready for transport ahead of schedule."

"Outstanding," said Cuthbert, "now, about this plan of Dr. Claymore's, is it viable?"

"She believes it is," said Dr. Stiletto, "on the other hand, Dr. Claymore has always been…eccentric."

"And the rest of you Foundation X lot aren't?" Cuthbert asked.

"Well, more eccentric than the norm for Foundation X," said Dr. Claymore, "regardless, the plan is…viable. However, there are…minor complications."

"Minor complications my ass!" exclaimed Dr. Claymore as she walked up to Dr. Stiletto and Cuthbert, "my plan is perfect!"

"If it's so perfect," said Dr. Stiletto, "why wait so long?"

"To lull the fools into a false sense of security!" said Dr. Claymore, "to show them that even their best defenses are useless against the combined might of Dai-Shocker, The Obsidian Council and Foundation X!"

"Yes, that's all well and grand," said Dr. Stiletto, "but why take so many Worms on such an endeavor? You've requested twice as many as in previous expeditions."

"Shock and awe, my fellow denier of scientific ethics," said Dr. Claymore, "shock and awe, that and overwhelming numbers would be beneficial to our cause. Any more questions?"

"Just one," said Cuthbert, "how sure are you that your plan will work?"

"On a scale of one to ten," said Dr. Claymore, "eleven. Trust me, Mr. Snyder, my plan will have us inside the boundaries of Ever After High."

"It'd better get us inside," said Cuthbert, "or else, not even your superiors in Foundation X will save you."

"I have no doubts," said Dr. Claymore.

"I wish I had your level of insane confidence," said Dr. Stiletto, "regardless, I won't hinder the plan."

"Proceed at once, Dr. Claymore," said Cuthbert.

"It has already begun, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Claymore, "it has already begun."

* * *

…**Ever After High…A Few Hours Later…**

"Wow, when you said you had an itinerary for us, you weren't kidding," said Avery as he, Clare, Apple, Raven, Briar, Maddie, Dexter and Daring, stood atop the tallest tower in the school, watching the sun set. Having spent a lengthy day touring the school and getting to know the students, Briar finished up with a spectacular view, while keeping clear of the damage stone railing.

"And the fat man still hasn't done anything to fix the masonry?" Clare asked, "I know he's an idiot, but I didn't know just how big an idiot."

"The railing's only part of the problem," said Apple, "I'm no expert on masonry and construction, but I'm sure there are other areas of the school that are in need of repair."

"This would definitely qualify as a building code violation on my world," said Avery as he examined the broken railing where Apple nearly fell to her death, "however," he examined some of the minor and moderate cracks around the broken area, "if I had some quick dry cement and tools, I could patch this up until a proper repair crew can get to work."

"You know how to work with cement?" Apple asked.

"That and a lot more," said Avery.

"Hang on a second," said Raven, "I think I may have just the spell," she closed her eyes in concentration and with a wave of her hand, summoned a bucket of cement, two pairs of gloves and two trowels, "will this do?"

"Perfectly," said Avery as he put one of the glove pairs, "anyone want to help and get dirty?"

"I wouldn't mind," said Daring as he rolled up his sleeves and put on the other pair of gloves. He then realized that Apple, Raven, Briar and Dexter were looking at him as if he had just said something insane, while Maddie was idly watching the clouds go by, "what? What?"

"It's just…well," said Dexter hesitantly.

"Since when have you ever done anything that has gotten you dirty?" Briar asked.

"I'm entitled to," said Daring. With that he and Avery got to work putting fresh cement into the cracks.

"Well, one thing's for certain," said Raven as she and the others watched Avery and Daring work, "our world will never be the same."

"Wish things would change in my world," said Clare, "it's too boring where I came from, too mundane, too simple. On the other hand, things aren't turning out how I hoped it would here."

"That's something I've been meaning to ask you," said Raven, "what's your problem? Ever since you showed up on Friday, you act like you've got a huge chip on your shoulder, one that you can easily shrug off but keep putting pack on."

"I've got issues," said Clare stubbornly, "and I'll thank you to not ask me again!"

"But you will tell us," said Maddie, "the narrator said so."

_ I most certainly did not! She'll tell her story when she's ready._

"But she's ready now," said Maddie, "isn't that right, AndrewK9000?"

_ Dang, you got me._

"Wonderful!" said Maddie happily as she clapped her hands.

"And they say I've got problems," said Clare as she looked at Maddie as if she were something too bizarre to understand.

"I am not incomprehensible!" Maddie protested, "just incomparable. Wouldn't you agree, Earl Gray?" at that her beloved dormouse nodded in agreement.

"Whatever," said Clare in a frustrated tone, "so," she said to Raven, "you really want to know what my freaking problem is? You think you can handle the tragedy and horrors that is the back story of Clarity Lawson?"

"If I can fight off alien monsters that want to kidnap me and kill my friends," said Raven, "if I can stand up for my own destiny and defy everyone out to control my life, if I can cope with my own inner darkness, then yes, I want to know."

"Good, 'cause it's not really that bad," said Clare as she sat down, while Raven sat down as well, "let's see, where to begin? Well, I never knew my real parents. They supposedly died in a car crash or were mugged and shot by crack heads, nobody told me a straight story. I spent the first couple years of my life that I remember in foster care, being bounced around from one family to another. Though I was reasonably well cared for, never abused or neglected, I always had this unresolved anger inside and I always caused trouble. I'd break stuff and get into fights. I always caused enough trouble to be sent back to child services and be placed with another foster family, so I never made a lot of friends.

"At age twelve, I ran away from my current caretakers and joined a street gang. Oh, we never did drugs or broke any serious laws, but we did a lot of shoplifting and other petty crimes. It wasn't long before I was arrested and spent time in juvie. After I got out I was put in a halfway home for troubled teens, the same house that Avery and the others grew up in on their worlds. I still kept getting in trouble, so much that I was looking at two choices; go to jail or be a cop."

"To say I had it tough would be an understatement. I knew I was causing trouble and frustration for those who only had my best interests at heart, but my anger, which not even my psychologist has been able to find the source, always got the better of me and I'd either end up running away or force those caring for me to leave. All I can do is keep my anger in check and try to vent it in positive, hopefully constructive ways, while my love for the old stories kept hope alive in my heart."

"Well," said Raven in an unsure tone, "I'm sure that…well, fighting The Worms is about as positive way to vent anger as you can get."

"Martial Arts was and is my salvation," said Clare, "I learned not only to defend myself and others, I learned discipline and focus. It's helped keep my anger in check and I've become a better person because of it. But recently, I've been feeling unsatisfied when practicing, even on the rare occasion when I was forced to defend myself. I felt that there was more.

"Becoming TheBeee was like a dream come true," Clare said as she genuinely smiled, "for the first time in my life, I truly felt in control, truly with a purpose. And when I destroyed that molted Worm, I knew that I had found something that was missing in my life," she then frowned, "but afterwards, I felt my anger creep up again, as if whatever emptiness that had been filled in my heart had been emptied again. There's still answers out there for me to find and I don't even know the questions." She then stood up and looked down at Raven, "so, now that you know about me, what do you think?"

At that Raven stood up, "I think we're both pretty messed up people. But maybe we can find our answers together," she held out her hand, "if you're up for it that is."

"You know, for some reason," said Clare, "I'm feeling a bit better about my situation." With that she and Raven shook hands.

"And if it means anything," said Raven, "I think you'd make a great police officer."

"I think so too," said Clare.

"How wonderful for you both!" said Apple cheerfully, "by working together and becoming closer friends, we'll become stronger, so strong that nothing can defeat us, not Cuthbert, not The Worms, not even The Obsidian Council."

"Don't forget Dai-Shocker," said Clare.

"Them too," said Apple. She then frowned slightly as she looked at Avery and Daring, "but there's still a lot to be done."

"You'll get no arguments from me," said Dexter as he looked at his brother with concerned eyes, "why would Daring want to do something as menial as this?"

"So, why are you helping me in such a menial task?" Avery asked as he and Daring repaired the cracks in the stonework.

"I have my reasons," said Daring.

"Well, they must be good reasons for the future Prince Charming to do a little honest hard work," said Avery.

"You think I'm just a handsome face who's only good for rescuing princesses and damsels in distress?" Daring asked, "that I'm too focused on my own image to care about others? Well, I admit that I have been a little obsessed with my own reflection. But now…"

"But the coming of The Worms changed things," said Avery, "what happened during the battle on Friday was nothing to be ashamed of. The Worms are a powerful enemy that event he best prepared mortal can barely stand against."

"But you can!" said Daring, "you and the other Riders, you're able to destroy them so easily."

"Being a Rider isn't just about wearing awesome armor and having the power to vanquish monsters, cool as it is," said Avery, "it's about standing up for what's right and true, to protect the peace and happiness of the innocent and, if needed, to die for that righteousness. My friends and I went into this knowing full well that we may never see our homes again, and yet we chose to be here. So, what about you, Daring Charming? Why are you here?"

At that Daring hesitated for a few seconds before looking at Apple.

"Oh, your ladylove, is that it?" Avery asked.

"I don't know," said Daring, "I don't know anymore. When Raven ripped her page out of The Storybook of Legends, it threw everything we thought we knew about destiny and our lives into chaos. I mean, Apple and I were meant for each other the moment we were born. She's the new Snow White and I'm the future Prince Charming, a perfect match in any story. Though I admit I was more than a little irresponsible towards her.

"But now that The Worms are here, now that there's a maniac who wants her dead, I don't know what I feel; about our relationship, our future, anything. I just don't know."

"'Things fall apart,'" said Avery, "'the center cannot hold.'"

"What's that?" Daring asked.

"Just a bit of poetry I read a while back," said Avery, "truth be told, I never liked poetry that much, but that line stuck with me for some reason."

"Well, I know one thing for sure," said Daring, "no matter what our future, even if we don't end up together, I'm not going to let that degenerate, Cuthbert, touch Apple, ever. Even if I have to give my own life, I'd gladly sacrifice myself to keep her safe."

"Spoken like a true hero," said Avery, "but let's save martyring yourself as a last resort." He then grinned, "and with that, we're done."

He and Daring stood up and looked at all the cracks in the stonework that they patched, "not bad," said Daring, "not bad at all."

"Wow, Daring," said Dexter, "I didn't know you had it in you."

"To actually do some honest work?" Daring asked, "I think we're all learning a lot about ourselves these days."

"Hey, sun's almost down," said Raven as everyone saw the light giving orb dipping beneath the horizon.

"So what?" Clare asked, "sure, it's one heck of a view, but what's so special about the sunset?"

"Nothing really," said Raven, "but it's what happens after sunset that you should see."

Not too long later, the sun had cleared the horizon and the enchanted hedges sprouted and grew to their full height within a matter of seconds.

"No one gets in or out unless you know how," said Apple.

"We can get out if we're really, really careful," said Raven, "but only Briar can open the way in."

"And I'd never open the way for The Worms, Cuthbert, The Obsidian Council or anyone who wants to hurt my friends," said Briar.

"But what if they somehow duplicate your way of getting past the thorns?" Maddie asked.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Briar asked.

"It just popped into my head like a bubble," said Maddie, "you know how those things happen."

"Yeah, well," said Briar, "they'd have to somehow copy everything I did exactly. Only two people know the secret to my success," she looked at Raven and Dexter, "and hopefully they'll keep it to themselves."

"Cross my heart and hope to be eaten by a wild dragon," said Raven, while Dexter nodded, albeit with a slight nervous expression on his face.

"Well, I don't know about you barrelful of monkeys," said Clare, "but I could eat."

"Me too," said Daring, "hard work can stir up an empty stomach."

"My grandmother once told me," said Avery, "'nothing satisfies the mind, body and soul after hard work than to sit down to good food and great friends.'"

"Was your grandmother a philosopher?" Apple asked as they headed downstairs, "maybe a poet or spiritual advisor?"

"Grandmother was a chef in a fancy restaurant," said Avery, "she brought me to work after school where I learned more than just cooking."

"She must have been real special," said Apple.

"The best in more ways than one," said Avery.

As they reached the castleteria, greeted by friends and the aroma of supper, the mood was spoiled by the appearance of Headmaster Grimm at the castleteria entrance.

"That pompous, fat bastard," Clare muttered irately, "look at him with that disgustingly self-righteous smile on his face. I'd like to twist him like a pretzel and shove his conceited face into a vat of mustard."

"Yellow or brown?" Raven asked.

"Yellow," said Clare, "I prefer brown on hotdogs."

"Don't bother," said Avery, "he's not worth the effort. One way or another, his own arrogance will come back to haunt him, so don't let him spoil your appetite."

"Well, Mr. Manning," said Grimm smugly as he approached Avery, Apple and the others, "the day has passed without incident."

"That it has, sir," said Avery, "that it has. Is there something you wish of me or my friends?"

"I merely wish to inquire how your day was," said Grimm, "I understand that you and Ms. Lawson have seen the entirety of this fine establishment of education that is Ever After High?"

"It's a nice place," said Clare, "not one I'd like to transfer to, but nice. The kids here are nice too."

"Though I am concerned at how divided they are," said Avery, "Royals vs. Rebels, destiny vs. freedom of choice."

"Oh, that word again," said an annoyed Grimm, "'choice,' it has no place in these halls, not when implied where some disruptive elements seem to lean on it like a crutch."

"Since when has wanting to write your own destiny a crutch?" Raven asked.

"What I am implying, young Raven," said Grimm, "is that you are a troubled young lady whom is in dire need of stern guidance in order to be put on the right path, while your fellow Rebels," he then looked at Apple disapprovingly, "and a growing number of Royals, also need guidance."

"The only thing we need is for you to get off of our backs!" said Raven irately.

"Easy, Raven," said Dexter in a calming tone, "don't let him grind your gears."

"Too late," said Raven, "my gears have been grinding for a while now."

Avery held up his hand in a placating gesture, then looked at Grimm with serious eyes, "Headmaster Grimm, I'm not here to argue ideology or philosophy with you or anyone. I only wish to enjoy supper with my friends."

"Come now, Mr. Manning," said Grimm, "how much longer are you going to keep up this charade? Nothing is going to happen, so why don't you and your fellow delinquents return to whatever world you came from and leave this world in peace?"

"First of all," said Avery, "my friends and I are each from a different world, not one. Second, we will leave this world in peace, but only when the threat of The Worms and The Obsidian Council has been resolved." He then sighed, "now you've done it. I said I wasn't going to talk about ideology and you forced me into it, and spoiled my appetite as well. I hope your satisfied."

"But he's right," said Clare, "we're not leaving until the job's done, or we're dead, hopefully after killing as many Worms as possible, and that bastard Cuthbert if I can get my hands around his throat," she then smiled at the through of strangling Cuthbert, "yeah, I wouldn't mind losing control over that creep."

"And yet there is still no sign of these so called Worms," said Grimm.

"The night's just beginning, fat man," said Clare, "I can wait until the break of dawn if I have to and still be ready to fight."

"Then I hope you enjoy traveling early," said Grimm, "for at 8:37 a.m. tomorrow, you and your friends will leave and never return!"

"But until then," said Avery, "we might as well enjoy your hospitality."

"Indeed," said Grimm, "enjoy it, while you can," he then looked at Apple and Raven, "enjoy the evening as well, ladies, for tomorrow morning, you're moving to your new dorm rooms." With that he walked away down the corridor.

"Oh, he's not getting away with that," said Raven irately as she glared at Grimm, "I'd like to see his smug face when he's vomiting locusts for a thousand and one nights!"

"Don't bother," said Maddie as she poured a cup of tea, "he'll get what's coming to him soon enough."

"How do you know?" Raven asked, "you pick up anything from your friend, the narrator?"

"No, not this time," said Maddie, "at least I don't think so. Hey, AndrewK9000? Anything about the next few pages I should know about? Hello? Hello? I don't believe this, he's ignoring me. Oh well, at least the scene's almost over."

"What are you talking about?" Clare asked.

* * *

…**A Few Hours Later…**

"That's what I'm talking about," said Maddie as she, Raven, Apple, Dexter, Daring, Clare and Avery sat in one of the school attics, the same one where not too long ago, Apple, Raven and their friends despaired at the prospect of Rumplestilskin's forthcoming pop quiz.

"What are you talking about?" Clare asked.

"That time slip," said Maddie, "we were just outside the castleteria, and now we're up here."

"Don't be ridiculous," said Clare, "after that fat bastard walked away, we went into the cafeteria, ate dinner, which was pretty good by the way, talked a bit and went up here to relax. It's been like a couple of hours."

"For _you _it was a couple of hours," said Maddie in a knowing manner as she poured more tea, just as Briar, Ashlynn and Hunter came into the room.

"Hey, everyone," said Hunter, "glad you're up here."

"We talked with Cerise, Cedar, Cupid and the others," said Ashlynn, "and we managed to talk to even more of our friends."

"A lot are willing to help fight The Worms," said Briar, "nearly everyone at school believed us, while nobody believed those lies that Headmaster Grimm told the media."

"Everyone we talked to is willing to help in some way," said Ashlynn, "except that rhymes with witch meanie, Duchess Swan. What an egotistic diva!"

"I figured she wouldn't want to help if asked," said Apple.

"Huh," said Dexter as he checked his watch, "it's nearly midnight."

"It's that late already?" Raven asked, "time does fly when you're having fun."

"Only a few more hours," said Avery, "maybe the enemy is laying low."

"Listen, Avery," said Apple, "no matter what happens between now and the deadline, no matter what Headmaster Grimm tries to force you to leave, we're all going to keep fighting," she then looked at Raven and the others, "isn't that right?" At that Raven, Dexter, Daring, Briar, Ashlynn, Hunter and Maddie all nodded in agreement.

But then they were all startled when the floor began to shake, as if the entire school was being shuddered about.

"I think we'll be staying after all," said Avery. With that they carefully but rapidly hurried for the stairs and, joined by the other confused students, some of them wearing pajamas and , exited the shaking building to find the grounds being upturned by pulsating roots of green, yellow and purple, while here and there shuffled a Salis Worm.

"What…how…why…how!?" exclaimed a horrified, outraged and terrified Grimm as he watched the unfolding carnage.

"I hate to say I told you so, fat man," said Clare, "but, I TOLD YOU SO, FAT MAN!"

…_The End Is Just The Begining…_


	7. Chapter 6: The Battle of Ever After High

**Chapter 6: The Battle of Ever After High**

"How'd they get inside the enchanted hedges?!" Apple asked as she, Raven, Dexter, Daring, Briar, Ashlynn, Hunter and Maddie, stood outside in the school grounds as their fellow panicking students franticly exited the main building of Ever After High, which was still being rocked by tremors, while those already outside were fleeing in terror from the growing numbers of Salis Worms.

"I don't know," said Avery, "but this is a hell of a time for Cuthbert to prove me wrong."

"You wanted proof, old man? You got it!" Clare shouted at Grimm, who was looking at the advancing Salis Worms with dumbfounded eyes, "hello? Are you listening to me, fatso?"

"This cannot be!" exclaimed Grimm, "this…this is some kind of illusion! It must be an illusion! It simply cannot be real! It cannot!"

Just then a pulsating root sprouted from the ground near Ashlynn. She screamed with fright as the vile tendril seem rise up and tried to ensnare her. Hunter grabbed Ashlynn and pulled her out of the way, then pulled out a hatchet and cut off part of the root. The severed tendril retreated underground, while the part cut off writhed on the ground for several seconds before crumbling into ashes, leaving a dark purple stain on the grass.

"I've got a distinct feeling that it'd be a bad idea to let those things touch us," said Dexter. He then saw several roots reach the main building of the school and began winding up its walls.

"I think anything that gets touched by those things are in trouble!" said Maddie, "with a capital T, which rhymes with P and that stands for Pool!"

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Clare asked.

"Hey, it's Riddlish," said Maddie as she sipped from her teacup.

Everyone then saw several roots were creeping up the enchanted hedges at a rapid rate. Within seconds the tendrils had ensnared and pulled down a large section of the living wall.

"No! This is impossible!" exclaimed Grimm as he saw the unfolding havoc around him, "all of this is impossible! I won't stand for this chaos! I won't stand for it! I won't!"

"Then shut up and do something about it, man!" Avery shouted at Grimm, "your school and students are in dire straights! It's time for you to take responsibility for those in your charge!"

"Chaos! CHAOS!" exclaimed Grimm in an unsteady voice, "this is not how it is supposed to be! The stories must remain pure and whole! The cycle must continue! Order must rein! Chaos must be averted! The cycle must continue! The cycle must continue!"

"What cycle?" Raven asked, "Headmaster, what are you talking about!?"

At that, Grimm glared hatefully at Raven, unadulterated furry blazing in his eyes, "Raven Queen, this is your doing!"

"I…what?" Raven asked, "I didn't do anything! It's the Worms you should be angry at."

"And that jerk Cuthbert," said Briar.

"No, this is all your doing, Raven Queen!" shouted Grimm, "if you had just done as you were told and signed the book, none of this bedlam would be happening! This chaos is all your fault!" He then lunged at Raven, his hands outstretched to strangle her, "this is all your fault!"

But then Grimm faulted in his lunging attack, let out a grunt of pain and collapsed to the ground unconscious, while behind him stood Cedar, her hands gripped together in a double fist that she used to knock the headmaster out.

"Oh my gosh!" a horrified Cedar exclaimed as Cerise and Cupid ran up to her, "what have I done?"

"You saved me from being throttled," said Raven as she involuntarily rubbed her neck.

"I had no idea that the headmaster was so mentally unbalanced as to attack a student," said Apple in a shocked tone, "I mean, I know he was…well…I wouldn't go so far as to say obsessed, but…"

"But nothing, Apple," said Raven, "we'll worry about Grimm later. Right now," she looked at the panicking students as they fled the main building of the school and the growing numbers of Salis Worms, the frightened students being forced into a corner as the insectoid creatures shuffled towards them, "right now, we've got a bit of a pest problem."

"Weeds as well as vermin," said Lizzie as she and Kitty reached Raven and the others, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I believe Ever After High is in dire need of some pest control!"

"Good," said Clare as she cracked her knuckles, "I'm in the mood to play exterminator tonight."

"Try to save some for Jeffrey and Tobias," said Avery as he pocketed his phone, "I just texted them and they're on their way."

"Spoil sport," said Clare. She then held out her right hand as her Henshin Brace appeared on her left wrist. At the same time, Avery held up his right hand as his Rider Belt appeared around his waist.

Two portals opened in the air and from them flew Kabuto Zector and TheBee Zector, flying around for a few seconds before being caught in the hands of their respective owners.

"Clare, you're with Daring, Briar, Cedar, Ashlynn and Hunter, you're in charge of keeping the students safe. Apple, I want you with them to help the wounded."

"So long as I get to kill some Worms," said Clare, "I'm happy. Henshin!" she then snapped her Zector onto her brace.

**HENSHIN**

With a wave of energy hexagons, Clare assumed the Masked form of TheBee. "Let's go," she said to Daring, Briar, Cedar, Kitty, Ashlynn and Hunter.

"You got it," said Daring as he unsheathed his sword, while Ashlynn readied a boom handle staff, Hunter his hatchet and crossbow and Kitty eagerly bared her claws, while Briar and Cedar nodded in agreement and Apple pulled out a first aid kit from her purse.

"Raven, you, Dexter, Maddie, Cerise, Cupid and Lizzie are with me," said Avery, "we've got an abomination of a plant to reap. Henshin!" With that he slid his Zector into place on his belt.

**HENSHIN**

With a wave of energy hexagons, Avery assumed the Masked form of Kabuto.

"We're right behind you!" said Raven, while Dexter, Maddie, Cerise, Cupid and Lizzie nodded in agreement, with Maddie turning her hat into her disk, Cerise's eyes flashing yellow in eagerness for battle, Cupid summoning a bow and a quiver full of arrows, Lizzie readying her deck of cards and Dexter cracking his knuckles. With that, Kabuto's group rushed towards the source of the roots, running past a cluster of Salis Worms, only for those creatures to be confronted by TheBee's group.

"Alright, you slimy pieces of green filth!" said TheBee, "get ready to feel my righteous sting!" with that she rushed forward, grabbed one of the Salis Worms and delivered a punched that knocked it to the ground, then kicked another to the ground. But several more shuffled forward to take the place of their fallen comrades and advanced on the defending heroes.

"Uh…what do I do now?" Cedar asked.

"Just hit them until the explode," said Kitty, "they're tough but slow!" With that she flashed out and reappeared behind two Salis Worms, delivering a double slash to one then to the other, then flashed out as they self destructed. "And dumb as a doornail," she said as she appeared next to Cedar.

"Oh…okay," said Cedar as she watched Hunter shoot one of the Worms with his crossbow, piercing the creature in the middle of the head and causing it to explode, "um…I'm going to stick with Apple and help her, if that's okay with everyone else."

"Birthday suit yourself," said TheBee a she grabbed a Salis Worm and punched it several times in the gut, "more for the rest of us!" She then threw the Worm she was fighting into the air, while at the same time, Briar flipped another into the air, just as Ashlynn tossed a third into the air with her makeshift quarterstaff. The three hapless Worms collided in midair with enough force to explode.

"Everyone!" Apple said to the panicking students, "we're trying to get the situation under control. In the meantime, you all have to calm down and get to safety. I know things are frightening and confusing and I don't have all the answers. What I do know is that the ones responsible for this horrific attack want us to be afraid, the want us to be confounded and they want us to be without hope. Well, as long as I am here, there'll always be hope, I promise you that!"

But then Apple sensed something creeping up behind her. She turned around and saw two Salis Worms about to attack. But then Daring got in front of the creatures and stabbed one of them with his sword, then delivered a diagonal slash with a hard cut follow up that caused the creature to explode, while the one next to it exploded from being so close to the first blast.

"Are you alright, Apple?" Daring asked.

"Yes, I'm fine," Apple replied, "Daring…I…"

"Listen, Apple," said Daring, "for this may be the only chance I may get to say it. I know everyone expected us to wind up together and live happily ever after, and I was okay with it. But truthfully, even though we signed The Storybook of Legends, I'm just not ready to settle down with you, or anyone for that matter."

"I feel the same way," said Apple, "even if Raven somehow poisons me right now and you kissed me right afterwards to wake me up, I still wouldn't want to settle down right away, especially with everything else going on."

"What I'm trying to say is…" said Daring, "what I mean is…"

"You just want to be friends for now?" Apple asked, "and figure out our relationship later?"

"Exactly," said Daring.

Just then two more Salis Worms rushed at Apple and Daring and raised their claws to attack before either Royals could do anything to defend themselves. But then Cedar got in front of them and blocked the Worm claws with her arms. She then countered by punching one hard in the face, then grabbing the other and throwing it towards TheBee, who destroyed it with a hard kick to the side.

"Huh, I think I'm getting the hang of this," said Cedar. She then looked at Apple and Daring, "you two alright?"

"Uh…yeah," said Apple, "I think so."

"Just what kind of wood are you made of anyway?" Kitty asked as she slashed and destroyed another Worm, "enlighten us."

"'Cedar' wood, of course," said the daughter of Pinocchio, "and some ironwood, but mostly cedar."

Just then one of the Worms shifted to its human disguise, an ordinary woman with short brown hair and wearing a green and brown dress, "being made of wood may make you tough, but everything has its weakness."

"I'm surprised you bugs can talk," said Kitty.

"Some of us can in our natural state," said the woman, "but mostly, we need a human form to speak."

"You mean a life to steal! An identity to consume!" exclaimed Apple.

"We do what we have to do to survive," said the woman, "and as for you, Apple White, your survival is about to become moot."

"As if we'd let you!" said Briar as she got in front of Apple. By now the other students were out of the area of danger, while Ashlynn, Hunter, Kitty and Cedar stood with Briar.

"You're just one bug! We can handle you any day of the week!" said Hunter.

"I wouldn't be so quick to underestimate The Worms if I were you," said the woman. She then looked at Cedar, "and judging by your physical makeup, I can guess your weakness, and your greatest fear!" With that, the woman shifted back into a Salis Worm, which then Molted, becoming a creature with features of a yellow and black termite.

"Oh snap, crackle and pop!" exclaimed a terrified Cedar.

"That's right!" said the Termite Worm, "I'm going to devour you in body and soul!" With that the creature Clocked Up and ran at Cedar at blinding speed. It stopped in front of the heroes, grabbed Kitty and Hunter and threw them aside like they were rag dolls. Ashlynn tried to hit the creature with her staff but the Termite Worm dodged the wooden weapon and grabbed it out of Ashlynn's hands.

The creature then broke the staff in half and ate both parts, "an appetizer in anticipation of the main course!" it exclaimed before rushing at Cedar. It then grabbed Briar and threw her to the ground, then grabbed Cedar.

"No! I don't want to be eaten!" exclaimed Cedar, "don't eat me! Please!"

"That's right, beg for mercy!" said the Termite Worm, "plead for your pathetic excuse for a life. Cry some tears, it'll make devouring you that much sweeter, so cry, if you can cry that is!"

Just then TheBee tackled the creature, forcing it to release Cedar, whom was helped to her feet by Apple, while Briar and the others had gotten back up.

"Leave the puppet alone, bitch!" snapped TheBee.

"Actually, I'm a marionette," said Cedar as she got back up, "but that's not important right now."

"It's nice to know, anyway," said TheBee.

"You'll pay for denying me of my meal, rider maggot!" snapped the Termite Worm.

"We'll see who eats who," said TheBee as she flipped the wings back on her Zector. Yellow energy crackled as the segments of her armor separated, "after all, my motif is a predator insect, while termites are often prey. Cast Off!" She then turned her Zector around 180° on her wrist brace.

**CAST OFF**

The outer segments of her armor were blasted off, shooting out in all directions, forcing Apple and the others to duck, the Termite Worm to dodge and a few Salis Worms that reacted too slowly to be hit and explode.

**CHANGE: WASP**

"In the wild, it is the strong who devour the weak," said the Termite Worm. "'The weak are meat and the strong doth eat!'"

"That's assuming you're stronger than I am," said TheBee. She then turned around and aimed her left arm at several approaching Salis Worms, firing off several stinger-like bullets from her Zector, the bullets hitting and destroying the creatures. She faced the Termite Worm again and assumed a fighting stance, beckoning the Termite Worm forward with a wave of her hand, inviting the monstrosity to attack.

"I'll be eating good tonight!" said the Termite Worm. The creature then accelerated again and rushed at TheBee.

"Clock Up!" said TheBee as she hit the button on the side of her belt.

**CLOCK UP**

TheBee accelerated and rushed to meet the oncoming Termite Worm, the two striking at each other so fast they were little more than blurs.

* * *

"There's the plant!" Raven shouted as she, Dexter, Maddie, Cerise, Cupid and Lizzie reached the top of a small hill in the school grounds, where at the bottom of the rise stood a pulsating green, yellow and purple plant identical to the one from the park yesterday. Around it were less than ten Salis Worms.

"That one looks bigger than the one before," said Dexter.

"I'm no expert on plants," said Cerise, "but it looks like it's growing a flower."

At the top of the plant a large bud was forming, getting larger all the time.

"I don't want to know what will happen when that flower blooms," said Lizzie, "I don't even want to know what color it'll be."

"Then let's cut it down before who knows what happens," said Cupid. She fitted an arrow to her bow, drew the string back, aimed and fired her arrow at one of the Salis Worms. The arrow pierced it in one eye and the creature exploded. At the same time, the other Salis Worms looked up, seeing our heroes.

"Way to be subtle," said an irate Lizzie.

"Demigods are seldom subtle," said Cupid as she fitted another arrow to her bow.

"Let's just cut the weed down," said Raven.

Just then Cuthbert appeared in front of Raven and the others, "I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Nightdancer."

"You!" snapped Raven, while Dexter and the others stood defensively in front of her, "how did you do it?! How did you get inside the enchanted hedges?!"

"I was hoping you'd ask that," said Cuthbert, "I'd be glad to explain, but I think I'll let my learned colleague spill the beans."

Just then a hologram of Dr. Claymore appeared next to Cuthbert, "am I coming in clear?" she asked, "are you receiving me, Mr. Snyder?"

"Clear as crystal, Dr. Claymore," said Cuthbert, he then looked at Raven and the others, "may I present to you a vital member of the scientific team sponsored by The Obsidian Council; Dr. Claymore, of Foundation X."

"At your disservice," said Dr. Claymore, grinning wickedly as she gave a mock bow.

"Foundation X?" Dexter asked, "who are you guys?"

"And why are you working with The Obsidian Council?" Cerise asked.

"That's what I want to know," said Kabuto as he appeared behind Cuthbert and the hologram of Dr. Claymore.

"Ah, Mr. Manning," said Cuthbert, "we meet again."

"Cut the claptrap, creep!" Kabuto snapped, "you were asked a question."

"And I'm only too happy to oblige," said Dr. Claymore, "Foundation X is an amalgamation of the best in all fields of science, dedicated to research and producing results for our most generous investors."

"In other words, you go to whatever means necessary to finish whatever project you're being paid for," said Kabuto, "especially if it means killing those in your way. And your projects are either lethal products to be unleashed on the general public or weapons of mass destruction. Foundation X is nothing more than a guild of death merchants!

"An exaggerated analogy, but true," said Dr. Claymore.

"How'd you know that?" Raven asked suspiciously.

"That's what I want to know," said Cuthbert

"My friends and I have information on various dark organizations," said Kabuto, "thought we didn't know that Foundation X was involved."

"Well we are," said Dr. Claymore, "and thanks to my brilliant idea, we've gained access to Ever After High, as well as rendering it's strongest protections null and void."

"Which brings us back to how you got past the hedges?" Raven asked.

"You can thank Briar Beauty for providing us the means," said Cuthbert, "oh, didn't you know? After last night's jaunt through the park, I had you followed back to school, Nightdancer. My recon Worms videotaped you, young Dexter and Briar at the hedges. You won't believe what an interesting sound they picked up."

"Briar's singing," said Dexter, "you recorded her voice!"

"And I used that recording to modify a Worm's vocal cords to synthesize the exact frequency, tone and pitch needed to pass through the thorns," said Dr. Claymore, while at the same time a Molted Worm appeared next to her. This creature had attributes of a cricket, while advanced cybernetic implants were grafted to its neck.

"As you can see by the results," said Dr. Claymore as she indicated the unfolding chaos afflicting Ever After High, "science proves itself superior to magic."

"You're wrong!" snapped Raven, "science isn't better than magic!"

At that Dr. Claymore laughed cruelly, "oh, and you're going to prove that magic is better than science?"

"She doesn't have to," said Kabuto, "no one has to, for the proof is all around us."

"I'd love to hear you elaborate, Mr. Manning," said Cuthbert as several Salis Worms shuffled over, "but time is money." He then indicated to the insectoid creatures, "I want him in pieces!"

"I'll give you a piece of me, alright," said Kabuto. He then flipped the horn on his Zector up. Energy crackled as the segments of his outer armor separated, "Cast Off!" He then pressed the horn home to its reverse position.

**CAST OFF**

The armor segments blasted outwards in all directions, forcing Raven and the others, as well as Cuthbert and the Cricket Worm, to duck, while Dr. Claymore calmly stood her ground as the segments passed through her holographic image. The gathered Salis Worms weren't so lucky as they were hit by the flying segments and exploded, while at the same time the horn on Kabuto's inner armor rose up and clicked into position.

**CHANGE: BEATLE**

"As I was saying," said Kabuto, "magic is all around us; in the laughter and smiles of children, in the breaking of the dawn and the setting of the dusk, from the rising of a rainbow to the gentle fall of snow. You can try to take it away and destroy it with science, but as my grandmother always said…" he then pointed to the brightest star in the night sky, "'magic is everywhere; to see it, just open your eyes and heart.'"

"A wise woman, your grandmother," said Cuthbert in a contemptuous tone, "too bad you'll never see her again!" With that the Cricket Worm accelerated and rushed at Kabuto.

"Clock Up!" said Kabuto as he pressed the button on the side of his belt.

**CLOCK UP**

Kabuto accelerated and rushed at the oncoming Cricket Worm, exchanging punches and kicks in hyper time.

"While they're busy with near light speed combat," said Cuthbert as he looked at Raven, "we need to have a serious discussion, Nightdancer."

"Stop calling me that!" Raven snapped.

"Would you prefer me to call you by your given name?" Cuthbert asked, "Raven Queen, daughter of the Evil Queen and descended from a long line of Evil Queens. Can you honestly tell me that you're satisfied with that? Forced into a role that has you predestined to failure, humiliation, imprisonment and most likely death? Oh wait, I forgot, you're trying to change your destiny."

"I'm already changing my destiny!" said Raven.

"By denying who you really are," said Cuthbert, "be honest, Raven, do you really believe you can keep the darkness in your heart in check? That you won't accidentally lose control and end up hurting someone you care about? Can you truly expect to be a goodie two shoes for the rest of your life?!"

"I can try," said Raven, "all I can do is try and take it one day at a time."

"You tell that creep, Raven!" said Dexter, while Maddie and the others nodded in agreement.

"Why settle for one day when you can have it all right here and now?" Cuthbert asked. He then held out his hand, "come with me, Nightdancer, come to The Obsidian Council. Only they can help you achieve your true destiny, your true power."

Raven responded by charging up a fireball and throwing it at Cuthbert. He caught it by reflect and he yelped in pain as his hand burned.

"The next time you ask me that," said Raven as she summoned another fireball, "I'll set your hair on fire."

"In that case," said Cuthbert as he clutched his burned hand, then wrapped it in a handkerchief, "I won't ask anymore. I'll just have to take you by force!"

"Just try and get past us, you jerk!" Maddie shouted as she, Dexter, Lizzie, Cupid and Cerise got in front of Raven.

"Okay, I will," said Cuthbert. He then held out both hands and the mimed pushing something aside, while an invisible force violently shoved Dexter, Maddie, Lizzie, Cupid and Cerise away from Raven and knocked them to the ground.

Cerise recovered first and leapt at Cuthbert, intending on tackling him to the ground.

Cuthbert shot a green energy blast at Cerise that hit her in the torso and knocked her out of the air. She hit the ground hard and didn't get back up.

"Off with his head!" shouted Lizzie as she threw several of her exploding cards at Cuthbert.

"Parlor tricks," said Cuthbert irately as he flicked his wrist, causing the incoming cards to freeze midair and turn around, hurtling right back at their thrower. Lizzie let out a squeak of fright as she dodged most of the cards, which landed and exploded around her, while one landed a few feet closer and exploded right behind her, blasting Lizzie off of her feet and onto the ground where she didn't get back up again.

"Stop hurting my friends, you blibbering humdinger!" Maddie shouted as she threw her disk at Cuthbert.

"Oh, please," said Cuthbert as he caught the disk, waved his hand over it, charging the disk with dark magic. He threw it into the air, where it morphed into a bat-like creature with four wings, razor-sharp claws and a mouth full of needle-like teeth that dripped with acid. The creature let out a screech of primal fury as it flew at Maddie.

"Where's a rabbit hole when you need one!" Maddie shouted as she fled from the mutant bat.

"Do we really have to continue with this charade, Nightdancer?" Cuthbert asked. "Your defenders aren't living up to your expectations."

"Don't make fun of my friends!" Raven shouted, "they're part of what makes me strong, just as I'm part of what makes them strong! But I can also take care of myself if I have to!" she then shot a double handed blast of magic at Cuthbert. The blast hit the vile suited man and with a dark purple flash, turned him to stone.

"I did it!" Raven shouted happily. She then shot her petrifying beam at the mutated bat chasing Maddie, turning the creature to stone. It fell to the ground and shattered.

"Thanks, Raven," said Maddie, "but what am I going to do for a new hat? The stores won't open till morning."

"I think you've got other things to worry about," said Dr. Claymore.

Just then the stone statue of Cuthbert began to crack, green energy crackling as the statue shattered, revealing a dusty and slightly out of breath Cuthbert.

"Not bad, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert as he brushed himself off, "not bad at all."

Just then Kabuto and the Cricket Worm returned to normal time, with Kabuto delivering a punch that knocked the creature to the ground, while at the same time, TheBee and the Termite Worm appeared nearby, with TheBee kicking the creature off its feet.

"Raven!" Apple shouted as she, Briar, Daring, Cedar, Ashlynn, Hunter and Kitty ran into the area.

"What…what is that?" Daring asked as he pointed at the towering pulsating plant.

"I don't know, but it's getting bigger," said Cedar.

"Yes, impressive, isn't it?" Dr. Claymore asked, "the Negative Plant, quite the marvel of science."

"And who are you?" Ashlynn asked.

"A mad scientist if there ever was one," said Lizzie as she and Cerise got back up.

"Just because she's mad, doesn't make her wrong," said Cuthbert, "soon, The Negative Plant will reach its full height and its flower will bloom, spreading Negative Spores across the width and breath of this world until the entire realm of fairytales has been corrupted! And the corruption will begin right here at Ever After High!"

"Over my dead body!" Cupid shouted as she took aim with her bow and shot an arrow at Cuthbert.

Without even looking, Cuthbert caught the arrow between his left forefinger and middle finger. He then flicked his hand and sent the arrow back where it came from. Before Cupid could react, the arrow hit her in the torso just a few millimeters to the right of her heart. With a startled grunt she collapsed to the ground.

"NO!" exclaimed Dexter as he and Raven rushed to the fallen demigoddess of love, "Apple! Help me!"

"Should we pull the arrow out?" Kitty asked as she and the others clustered around.

"Didn't you learn anything from what happened to Raven?" Apple asked as she got her first aid kit ready, "that arrow is probably right next to a vital spot, such as her aorta or super van cava. The slightest pressure could cause her to bleed to death in seconds!"

Just then Cupid coughed up some blood and spoke in a harsh whisper, "Raven…Dexter!"

"We're right here, Cupid," said Dexter.

"Don't try to talk," said Raven, "save your strength."

"No…this is…important," said Cupid. She then grasped Raven's right hand with her left, Dexter's right hand with her right and brought them together so Raven and Cuthbert were holding hands, "find the love," said Cupid. With that she closed her eyes and didn't open them again.

"Ha!" laughed Cuthbert, "so much for love!"

At that Dexter stood up and glared at Cuthbert, "you bastard!" he then rushed at the vile suited man, leaving Raven and the others still in shock over Cupid's passing.

"So you want to be a hero?" Cuthbert asked as Dexter ran right at him, "then be a dead hero!" he then shot several green energy spheres at Dexter, whom dodged them as they exploded around him. Shouting with righteous fury, Dexter reached Cuthbert and delivered a hard left punch that knocked the vile man down.

"That's for Cupid, you son of a bitch!" shouted Dexter, only for Cuthbert to blast him with dark magic and sent him flying into the air.

"Impudent punk!" snapped Cuthbert as he got up and felt where he was punched, finding a few drops of blood on his fingertips.

By now Raven and the others had recovered from their shock and saw Dexter land a few feet from them.

"Enough dithering around!" said Cuthbert, just as two Salis Worms shuffled up to him and Molted into orange centipede-like creatures, "kill them!"

"You've got us to deal with first, asshole!" snapped TheBee as she and Kabuto stood ready, only for them to dodge lunging attacks from the Termite Worm and Cricket Worm. The two Centipede Worms then rushed in and fought the two armored warriors.

"If you want something done right," said Cuthbert as he straightened his tie, "you have to do it yourself!" he then threw a large sphere of dark magic at Raven and the others.

"No!" shouted Raven as she cast a shield spell. The dark sphere hit the shield and detonated with enough force to knock Raven and the others down, leaving them sore, slightly bruised and bleeding but alive.

"You really are proving yourself to be troublesome, Nightdancer," said Cuthbert as he walked up to Raven, "I only hope that when you're presented before The Obsidian Council, they'll teach you some proper manners."

"Go to hell!" said Raven as she tried to get back up, only for Cuthbert to backhand her across the face and knock her down again.

"Stop it!" Apple shouted as she got to her feet, "stop hurting everyone!"

"If I did that, I'd have to look for another job," said Cuthbert. He then reached into an inner pocket on his sport coat and pulled out a short knife with a black blade that glowed with silver symbols, "how does the story go? The Evil Queen was so jealous of Snow White's beauty that she ordered her heart cut out? This time, the killer won't be swayed by your beauty and innocence, Apple White. This time, you die." With that he advanced towards Apple.

"No!" shouted Daring as he got back up and tried to rush Cuthbert, only for the vile man to blast him back down.

"I don't know what I'll do with your heart once I cut it out, Apple White," said Cuthbert, "I may keep it in a box, or I might just throw it away. I'll figure it out after you're dead."

"You're insane!" exclaimed Apple, "you're not even human!"

"Thank you," said Cuthbert as he reached Apple and was about to grab her, his knife raised for the kill.

But then came the sound of two motorcycles approaching. With a double engine rev, the two bikes jumped over the damaged hedges, their riders being the Masked forms of Drake and Sasword. The two motorcycles landed on the school grounds, accelerated and shot towards Cuthbert, whom dodged them just in time.

The two bikes screeched to a halt as Drake and Sasword dismounted, "sorry we're late," said Drake, "Traffic was just awful."

"We would have gotten here sooner if you hadn't stopped for doughnuts," said an irate Sasword.

"Doughnuts!?" exclaimed TheBee as she fought both the Termite Worm and one of the Centipede Worms, "you're late because of doughnuts!?"

"Hey, they had Bavarian Cream, my favorite," said Drake.

"I like doughnuts as much as the next person," said Kabuto as he struggled against the other Centipede Worm and the Cricket Worm, "but there's a time and a place for everything."

"Then let's make up for lost time," said Drake as he held up his Drake Grip and pulled the tail throttle on the Drake Zector, while Sasword pressed the stinger down on his Sasword Zector. Energy crackled across both of them as the outer sections of their armor separated.

"Cast Off!" Drake and Sasword shouted as Drake pulled the trigger on his blaster, while Sasword pushed the stinger all the way down on his Sasword Yaiver.

**CAST OFF**

The armor segments blasted outwards. Apple, Cuthbert, Kabuto and TheBee ducked the flying segments, while the four Molted Worms were hit and knocked off their feet.

**CHANGE: SCORPION**

**CHANGE: DRAGONFLY**

"Take them on and take them down!" said TheBee.

"You'll get no arguments from me, big mama!" said Drake as the four Molted Worms got back up.

"Don't call me that and I won't break every bone in your body," said TheBee, just as the four Molted Worms accelerated.

"Clock Up!" shouted Kabuto, TheBee, Drake and Sasword as they pressed the buttons on their belts.

**CLOCK UP**

Reality blurred and brightened as the four riders accelerated into hyper time, leaving everyone else seemingly frozen as they met and began fighting the four Molted Worms.

Back in normal time, Raven got up and glared wrathfully at Cuthbert, "you!" she said as she pointed an accusing finger at the vile man, "you really want me to be evil?! I'll show you evil!"

"I'd love to see you embrace your true heritage," said Cuthbert, "but according to the calculations of my scientific friends, The Negative Flower is just about to bloom."

"I don't think so," said Apple, "you may have hurt a lot of my friends, even gone so far as to murder one of them, but there's one still able to fight."

"Oh, and who's that?" Cuthbert asked.

Apple then smiled, "my dear friend Tiny."

Just then the ground shook, not from a Negative Root-induced tremor, but from a young giant bracing himself as he gripped the Negative Plant and ripped it free of the ground, pulling up several yards of roots at the same time. The roots and stem of the malicious plant began writhing as if it had become sentient and tried to ensnare Tiny, but the young giant began ripping off roots from the stem, each severed root crumbling into ash as it fell to the ground.

Eventually the main stem of the plant ceased its thrashing and lay still in Tiny's hands, while the budding flower dissolved into slime. Tiny threw the dying plant into the air with disgust, the whole vile organism crumbling as it tossed end over end, the resulting dust being carried away harmlessly away by the air.

"Sorry I'm late, Apple," said Tiny, "I had to get a large enough pair of gloves," he then indicated the leather gloves covering his hands, gloves that seemed to have taken entire tanned hides of cows to stitch together.

"I'm glad you did," said Apple, "I don't even want to know what will happen if someone touched that thing with their bare hands."

"No! How dare you!" exclaimed the hologram of Dr. Claymore, "how dare you destroy the perfection that is the Negative Plant!? How dare you!"

Just then the four riders and four Molted Worms returned to normal time, with the four creatures collapsing to the ground, having been beaten halfway to a pulp.

"Time to cut the cake," said Drake as the four Worms began to get back up.

"A fitting metaphor," said Sasword. He then pulled up and pushed down the stinger on his Zector, "Rider Slash!"

**RIDER SLASH**

"Clock Up!" Sasword shouted as purple energy cracked across his Sasword Yavier and he pressed the button on his bet.

**CLOCK UP**

Accelerating into hyper time, Sasword rushed at one of the Centipede Worms and delivered multiple spark-inducing strikes.

**CLOCK OVER**

Reality returned to normal as the Centipede Worm exploded, just as Drake folded the wings on his Drake Zector into a targeting scope, taking aim at the other Centipede Worm.

"Rider Shooting!" said Drake as he pulled the tail throttle.

**RIDER SHOOTING**

Energy crackled from the Drake Shooter as he pulled the trigger, firing a massive energy blast that hit the Centipede Worm and caused it to explode.

"Rider Sting!" said TheBee as she pressed the button on her Zector.

**RIDER STING**

Energy crackled across her TheBee Zector and across her armor as TheBee rushed at the Termite Worm. The energy concentrated at the point of the Zector's sting as she delivered a devastating punch to the creature's face, inflicting enough damage to cause it to explode.

At that point, Kabuto pressed the three buttons on his Zector

**ONE**

**TWO**

**THREE**

Kabuto then flipped the horn on his Zector back to its primary position, "Rider Kick!" he said and flicked the horn back again.

**RIDER KICK**

Red energy crackled out from the beetle-like Zector, concentrating on Kabuto's right foot as he delivered a roundhouse kick to the Cricket Worm's torso and inflicting enough damage to make it explode.

"Victory!" said Drake as he made the peace sign.

"You fools!" Cuthbert snapped, "you may have won the battle tonight, but the war is far from over! And considering that you lost one of your own just now, I'd say this was a shallow victory at best." He then laughed, but then barely dodged a massive blast of dark magic from Raven.

"That's right, keep laughing!" snapped Raven as she charged up another massive dark blast, "laugh your way right into Hell!" she then shot the blast at Cuthbert, whom again barely dodged it.

"Yes, embrace the wickedness!" exclaimed Cuthbert, "make it your own!"

"Shut up!" Raven shouted, as she charged an even larger dark blast, "SHUT UP!"

"I think we had best take our leave," said Dr. Claymore, "wait, what am I saying? I'm using a hologram," she then looked at Cuthbert, "enjoy oblivion," she smiled as the hologram faded out.

"Insufferable scientist!" spat Cuthbert as he summoned a shimmering gray door. He looked at Raven, whom was just about to send the dark blast right at him, "until next time, Nightdancer!" with that he walked into the door, which vanished just as Raven threw the blast, which passed through the empty space and detonated on the ground.

Screaming with unadulterated rage, Raven charged up another dark blast and prepared to throw it in a random direction, when Apple and Dexter grabbed her arms.

"Raven! It's over!" said Dexter urgently, "it's over, he's gone."

"Just calm down, Raven," said Apple, "you don't want to hurt anyone here, do you?"

At that Raven blinked, clearing the fury from her eyes as she looked around and saw Daring, Maddie and the others, while Kabuto, TheBee, Drake and Sasword powered down, revealing Avery, Clare, Jeffrey and Tobias.

"Oh," said Raven as she calmed down and canceled out the dark blast. Her eyes widened with fear and sorrow, "oh no! Cupid!" with that she rushed over to the fallen form of the demigoddess of love.

"Is she…is she…" Raven asked in a choked up voice, unable to finish her sentence that would undoubtedly finalize Cupid's fate.

But then, to the surprise and fright of everyone, Cupid opened her eyes, sat up and pulled the arrow from her chest. A few drops of blood dripped from the wound as it closed within seconds and Cupid stood up, no worse for wear.

"Sorry to scare everyone," Cupid said as she used a handkerchief to wipe her blood from the arrowhead, "It hurt so much, I kinda passed out."

"But…how can you still be alive?" Raven asked.

"Must be a demigod thing," said Hunter.

"Honestly, guys," said Cupid as she put the arrow into her quiver, "do you really think one of my own arrows can kill me? No, it'll take a lot more than that to put me down."

"Well, I'm glad you're alright," said Raven, "I'm glad everyone's alright. Sorry I went a little nuts back there."

"Hey, as far as I'm concerned," said Cerise, "you had every right to go primal."

"Just try not to make any of us collateral damage," said Kitty.

"Great teacups, what a mess!" said Maddie as she looked around at the damage inflicted on Ever After High. Wherever the Negative Roots reached, they left a pulsating purple stain. The enchanted hedges, the grounds, some of the trees and even the main building of the school seemed to have been infected by the wickedness of the Negative Plant.

"If that thing's roots did this," said Apple, "what would have happened if the flower bloomed?"

"I hope we never find out," said Avery, "I know I should be realistic, but I hope with all my heart that we never see another Negative Plant again."

"We will see one again," said Clare, "that asshole Cuthbert, he'll try something like this again, but I also hope he won't."

* * *

…**The Enemy Lair…**

"Where is she!?" Cuthbert exclaimed as he burst through the doors of the laboratory, scattering frightened scientists and technicians about with psychic blasts. "Where is that worthless wench who's pointless proposal resulted in my humiliation and the loss of a nearly matured Negative Plant!?"

"Mr. Snyder! Calm yourself!" said Dr. Falchion, "this wasn't the fault of Dr. Claymore!"

"If anyone is to blame," said Dr. Stiletto, "it's those miserable meddling brats."

"And those conniving Kamen Riders," said Dr. Scimitar.

"I'll deal with those troublemakers when the time is right!" said Cuthbert, "but now, I have an incompetent bitch to admonish! Where is Dr. Claymore!?"

"Right here, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Claymore as she appeared behind Cuthbert.

"Thank you," said Cuthbert. He then turned around and threw a green sphere of dark magic at Dr. Claymore, but the sphere passed through the scientist and detonated on the floor, starting a fire that the technicians were quick to put out with fire extinguishers.

"Stop hiding behind holograms, you trollop!" Cuthbert spat, "get over here so I can kill you!"

"I'm afraid you can't do that," said Dr. Claymore, "it's in my contract." Just then a flying tablet hovered in front of Cuthbert and began scrolling a long and detailed contract, "section 3, subsection 5, paragraph 9 clearly states that I and my fellow Foundation X scientists are untouchable. Any attempt on my life or the lives of my comrades at the hands of The Obsidian Council, Dai-Shocker or any involved proxies will not be tolerated."

"I almost forgot about that little insurance policy," said Dr. Scimitar.

"It seems you have me at a slight disadvantage," said Cuthbert as he read the indicated clause of the contract, "but that still doesn't excuse you from tonight's fiasco. You are responsible for the loss of the Negative Plant and you will be held accountable for this failure."

"On the contrary, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Claymore, "tonight's excursion was only a partial failure."

"A partial failure?" Cuthbert asked, "I don't understand."

"Allow me to elaborate," said Dr. Claymore, "you instructed me and my comrades to come up with a plan to get a Negative Seed inside the protective boundaries of Ever After High. The vocal modulation implant I designed and grafted to the Cricket Worm granted you and our forces passage through the enchanted hedges. The seed was then planted on the school grounds and it sprouted into the Negative Plant. In a sense, I did as you asked, Mr. Snyder. Ergo, Mission Accomplished."

"Touché, Dr. Claymore," said Cuthbert coldly, "next time, however, I expect the plan to be carried out all the way. I want a Negative Plant to bloom and spread its spores across this miserable world."

"It will, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Claymore, "I'm already working on a plan to do just that. The key is to eliminate the telltale tremors of the Negative Roots."

"Yes, the tremors are a dead giveaway," said Cuthbert. He looked at Dr. Falchion, "can the tremors be eliminated?"

"I don't see why not," said Dr. Falchion, "it will take time to modify the genetic structure of the roots so they do not cause such drastic seismic activity, but it can be done."

"And we can modify The Worms into more powerful fighters," said Dr. Claymore, "those pesky Kamen Riders are becoming quite a nuisance."

"Indeed they are," said Cuthbert, "how soon can you modify The Worms?"

"I'm already coming up with the means to do so," said Dr. Claymore, "as well as a plan that will blow your mind. I just need time to properly flush it out."

"I expect a full report on my desk within twenty-four hours," said Cuthbert. "In the meantime, prepare another Negative Seed and select the next target location. The Obsidian Council demands that this world be corrupted and it will, no matter how long it takes."

"It will be ask you declared, Mr. Snyder," said Dr. Claymore.

"See that it is," said Cuthbert, "and see that you stay in my good graces, Dr. Claymore. Your cunning and weaseling may have spared you this time, but another debacle like tonight and I will be eating my breakfast cereal out of the bottom of your skull, and I mean it!" with that he exited the lab.

"He will kill you," said Dr. Falchion as the hologram of Dr. Claymore faded out and the real Dr. Claymore appeared from behind a holographic camouflage field of a computer server. "Sooner or later, that man will lose his patience and one of us will die."

"And you're at the top of his hit list," said Dr. Stiletto to Dr. Claymore.

"By the time he crosses that line," said Dr. Claymore as she smiled viciously, "he'll be putty in my hand. In the meantime, we might as well move forward with our true plan." She then called up a holographic image of Clare and an image her as TheBee.

"You really think she's the one suited for our purpose?" Dr. Scimitar asked.

"Yes, my mild mannered malcontent," said Dr. Claymore as she looked at the holograms of Clare and TheBee, "this child is exactly the one we need."

…_The End Is Just The Beginning…_


	8. Chapter 7: The Red Riding Conundrum

**Chapter 7: The Red Riding Conundrum**

"Well, it could be worse," said Apple as she and Raven stood outside the front doors of the main building of Ever After High, where a sign had been tacked on saying that the school was closed until further notice. It had been nearly twelve hours since the battle on the school grounds had ended and while our heroes and allies had had time to rest and recuperate, a feeling of unease and uncertainty weighed on the shoulders of Raven and the others.

"I don't see how," said Ashlynn as she, Hunter, Maddie, Dexter and Briar stood nearby, while Avery, Clare, Tobias and Jeffrey, talked with several police officers and news reporters a few yards away, "there's serious structure damage to the school from the tremors, which only aggravated the damage that's already built up from years of covered up neglect. Then those roots left behind that horrible stain everywhere, I mean, seriously, what is that?" she then pointed at the pulsating purple lines that had spread wherever the Negative Roots had touched.

"Avery said that Dorothea's working on it," said Raven, "and now that the truth is out, every expert on magic in the realms are too."

Shortly after the attack had ended last night, police, fire and rescue workers rushed to Ever After High to help the traumatized students. With the media shortly behind, it was only a matter of time before the truth, so carelessly hidden by Headmaster Grimm for so long, reached the general public; the world was in danger.

"Yeah, but no one seems to know what to do," said Dexter as he held a morning edition of the news in his hand, "everyone knows that The Worms are responsible for what's going on, but no one has any idea how to fight them."

"Which leaves us back where we started," said Briar, "just us and the Riders against The Obsidian Council."

"Turnaround and turnabout, confounded within and without," said Maddie as she sipped her tea.

"You could say that again about Headmaster Grimm," said Dexter. "By now he's probably checked in to his own suite at the psychiatric ward."

"And his brother is getting help too," said Apple, "I honestly didn't know that Headmaster Grimm had a brother, let alone one in exile in the school basement."

"Giles Grimm has his own problems," said Maddie, "he can only speak in Riddlish, but he knew the truth about The Storybook of Legends for a long time."

"We'll worry about who was right and wrong later," said Raven, "the question is, what now?"

"Well, we can't all just do what the school governors say we should do," said Dexter, "we all can't go home and let the authorities sort it out. We can't be alone and risk being replaced by Worms."

"And we can't let the authorities handle it," said Briar, "they have no idea what to do about The Worms, Cuthbert or The Obsidian Council."

"No, they can't," said Clare irately as she, Avery, Jeffrey and Tobias walked over, "they simply don't have the balls to take this seriously."

"Not seriously enough, you mean," said Tobias, "they acknowledge the threat but lack the means to combat it."

"We tried to convince the cops and through them the military representatives," said Jeffrey, "we tried to tell them that if they send cops and soldiers after The Worms, they'll need one thing; a good supply of body bags."

"And if they send magic users, then they'll either get killed or worse," said Clare, "my god, why can't adults realize when they're out of their league? Why does it have to be us kids who're always the more reasonable in a crisis such as this? Seriously, someone tell me the answer."

"I don't know," said Avery, "perhaps it's because we're strangers to this world and the authorities are forced to confront a threat that's too alien for them too fully understand. 'The oldest and strongest emotion is fear and the oldest and strongest fear is fear of the unknown.'"

"One of your grandmother's quotes?" Apple asked.

"H.P. Lovecraft, actually," said Avery, "brilliant man, wrote a whole slew of disturbing but popular stories." He then looked at Maddie, "you'd like them."

"Probably," said Maddie.

"We still need to decide what to do," said Dexter, "what's our next move?"

"There's still a lot to figure out before we actually do anything," said Avery, "for one thing, why is Foundation X working with The Obsidian Council? The Alabaster Council never told us that."

"I'm starting to think that there's a lot that The Alabaster Council neglected to tell us," said Clare.

"Whatever the reason, they're the ones behind those plants that caused so much damage," said Raven, "and they'll try to plant another of those Negative Seeds again."

"Probably someplace that'll be harder for us to get to," said Tobias, "twice now, they tried this strategy; planting a Negative Seed, it becomes a Negative Plant and spread its roots, causing mass chaos and damage in the area, while The Worms protect the plant until its flower blooms."

"Cuthbert and that Dr. Claymore said that the flower's spores would corrupt the world," said Ashlynn, "I don't even want to see what that would look like."

"Without a doubt, we have to find a way of tracking Worms while they're in human form," said Avery, "we're virtually powerless to stop them until they show their true colors."

"They could be preparing to plant another seed anywhere in the world," said Apple, "in any realm; Cinderella's Kingdom, Sleeping Beauty's Kingdom, my kingdom. Oh my gosh! I've got to call my mom and let her know I'm alright!" With that she pulled out her mirror phone

"We've got to call all our folks!" said Dexter as he and the others pulled out their magical mobile devices.

"I've already done that," said Dorothea as she, Madison and Connor, walked up to our heroes.

"What are you talking about?" Jeffrey asked, "and shouldn't you be back at The Base?"

"I've got the Base computers linked to my iPhone," said Dorothea as she held up said mobile, "and I've already drafted messages to the various parents of the young characters here. I told Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and so on that their children are safe and sound."

"And they believed you?" Raven asked.

"Well, I haven't actually sent the messages yet," said Dorothea, "but I drafted them."

"She really did work hard on them," said Madison, while Connor nodded in agreement.

"Why don't we all assure our folks that we're fine ourselves?" Briar asked.

And they did just that as Raven and the others called and reassured their families that they were fine and promised to see them soon.

"Okay, we've prevented our families from going berserk with worry," said Raven, "and I think I know what to do next."

"We're all ears," said Clare.

"Well, I just think it'd be a good idea if we all stuck together," said Raven, "I mean, not that I don't want to sound like I don't want to go home. I do, I really want to see my father and tell him face to face that I'm alright, but I'd rather not go home alone."

"Neither would I," said Apple, while Dexter and the others nodded in agreement. By now they had been joined by Cupid, Blondie, Cerise, Daring, Kitty and Lizzie.

"So," said Raven, "I believe that for the most part, we should stick together in one place, like, at The Base, while a handful of us at a time visit each realm and reassure our respective families that we're alright face to face."

"Sounds like a winner to me," said Madison as she flashed the peace sign.

"But who's real do we visit first?" Apple asked, "and who goes to that realm?"

Just then Cerise's phone rang with an incoming text, "it's from my mom!" the half wolf girl said as she read the message title, "and it's got a spell code on it," she then typed in a password, followed by letting her phone scan her thumbprint, "if anyone else tried to read the message, my phone would explode."

"It's a secret means of emergency communication between royals and other 'Very Important Characters,'" said Apple to Avery.

"And affective countermeasure against unwanted eyes," said Avery.

"Oh no," said a worried Cerise as she read the decoded message, "everyone, there's trouble in Red Riding Hood's kingdom."

"Let me guess," said Kitty, "some of your father's old friends have gone wild?"

"No, my father's friends don't do that!" said an irate Cerise. She then looked at Cupid, Briar and the others whom haven't been privy to her secret, "I'm guessing that you guys know that my dad's the Big Bad Wolf, right?"

"Truth be told," said Briar, "it doesn't surprise me."

"Considering how you kept growling at everyone, it's not," said Daring.

"Hey, I'm friends with a lot of werewolves back home," said Cupid, "they're people just as much as everyone else is."

"So, you're cool with me being me?" Cerise asked as she cautiously lowered her hood, exposing her ears for everyone to see.

"After all that's happening," said Blondie, "a few fury secrets are nothing. You know," she then walked up to Cerise and stroked one of her ears, "you're kinda adorable this way."

"Stop that!" Cerise laughed as Blondie stroked her ear again, "that tickles!"

"Well, since we're all exposing secrets," said Ashlynn, "Hunter and I have been dating behind everyone's back."

"And we're darn proud of our love!" said Hunter as he and Ashlynn held hands, "and if anyone tries to break us apart, they've got another thing coming!"

"Hey, whatever keeps your heart pumping and your head on straight," said Lizzie, "anyone else with secrets they wish to get off their chests? I for one am rather fond of white roses."

"But you're the next Queen of Hearts!" Blondie exclaimed in a scandalous tone, "you're supposed to be obsessed with red roses and you're supposed to order the decapitation of card soldiers who paint white roses red!"

"Well, I like white roses!" said Lizzie, "I like all roses, but white's are my favorite. What about you, Blondie? Any skeletons in your closet?"

"Ooo, I bet they're so scandalous," said Kitty in a mischievous tone, "she'd die if she told them!"

"I have no secrets!" said Blondie irately, "and shouldn't we be focusing on whatever's troubling Red Riding Hood's kingdom?"

"This one time, I went to a store, where the cash registers have those 'take a penny, leave a penny' dishes," said Cedar, "I gave all the pennies in my pocket."

"And that's a secret?" Briar asked.

"It said to take a penny but I didn't," said Cedar in a shameful tone, "I'm so embarrassed."

"Uh…yeah," said Cerise, "anyway, my mom, she read the morning edition of the news and she thinks that an ongoing murder investigation in the village near our castle, it may be tied to The Worms."

"Why would The Worms be involved with a local crime?" Tobias asked.

"That's what I intend to find out," said Avery, "if Red Riding Hood thinks her realm is facing an imminent Worm attack, then we had best go to help."

"Right," said Apple, "so, who is going with Cerise to her kingdom?"

"I'll go," said Madison, "I want to go."

"You don't even have your Zecter yet!" said Clare.

"I know," said Madison, "even so, I'm not one to be trifled with."

"I'd like to go too," said Connor, "I've been pretty much stuck in The Base since we got here, I'd love the chance to stretch my legs."

"Trust me, there's plenty of room to move around," said Cerise.

"You can count The Charming Brothers as well," said Daring, while Dexter nodded in agreement.

"I'll go too," said Maddie, "I hear there's some interesting blends of tea in the various realms," she then looked at her beloved dormouse, "and Earl Gray is just dieing to try them all, aren't you, Earl Gray?" at that the dormouse nodded in agreement.

"So, it'll be me, Apple," said Raven, "Maddie, Madison, Connor, Dexter and Daring going with Cerise."

"And me," said Avery, "if this is a Worm attack, then it must be stamped out before any further innocents are hurt."

"Before you go," said Dorothea, "check your phones for a new app."

Raven and the others did just that and found a recently uploaded app, "what is this?" Apple asked.

"Our own secure communication network," said Dorothea, "just tap the app and you'll be connected directly with The Base, and from there with everyone else in the group. We'll be able to better coordinate our efforts to root out Worm activity and come to each other's aid if needed."

"Dorothea, I'd kiss you if I weren't already madly in love," said Hunter.

Just then Ashlynn's phone rang with an incoming message, "it's from my mom, and has a spell code on it!" she then typed in her password and scanned her thumbprint.

"What news from the realm of Cinderella?" Tobias asked.

"Oh, no!" said a horrified Ashlynn, "oh, bad! Oh, very, very bad!"

"What is it, pumpkin?" Hunter asked in a comforting tone.

At that Kitty let out an intense laugh, "you…you call her…pumpkin!?" she gasped between chortles.

"Oh, shut up!" snapped Hunter. He then placed his hands on Ashlynn's shoulders, "what's wrong?"

"My mother says there's Worms in our kingdom!" Ashlynn exclaimed, "they're running amuck and causing panic over hill and dale! At this rate, the ball will be ruined!"

"What ball?" Hunter asked, "this is the first I heard of it."

"You don't know?!" Briar exclaimed in a shocked tone, while Daring, Apple and Lizzie looked equally shocked.

"It's the 25th anniversary of the ball where my mother met my father," said Ashlynn, "the same ball where they fell in love but mom had to leave at midnight and she lost one of her glass slippers. It's tradition in our kingdom for each Cinderella to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that grand ball with an even grander ball. It's a time of joy and happiness, but also a time of sadness, for the climax of the event is when the current Cinderella stands down as monarch of the realm and the new Cinderella, yours truly, to begin her time of servitude under her wicked stepmother and stepsisters."

"And you're actually looking forward to that?!" Clare asked, "you're looking forward to being a virtual slave to a soulless bitch and her bitch daughters? You really looking forward to that crap?"

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad," said Madison, "one of the ugly stepsisters turns out to be a pretty nice person in the end, at least that what happened in the version of the story I read."

"Can we worry about this and that later?" Jeffrey asked, "we've got two Worm sightings and one of them might involve another Negative Plant."

"Then let's go whack some Negative weeds," said Clare as she cracked her knuckles.

"There's still the potential Worm activity in Red Riding Hood's realm," said Avery.

"I see where this is going," said Tobias, "divide and conquer."

"You mean the enemy launched two attacks to split us up?" Raven asked.

"Two attacks," said Tobias, "where one may be just a diversion." he looked at Cerise, "is there any definite proof that there are Worms in your native realm?"

"Uh…not exactly," said Cerise.

"It's too great a risk to ignore," said Avery, "so here's the plan; I'll so go with Madison, Connor, Apple, Raven, Dexter, Daring and Maddie to Cerise's home, while Jeffrey, Clare and anyone else willing, will go to Ashlynn's home to deal with this threat. Tobias, you and Briar will stay with Dorothea and everyone else in The Base to coordinate and keep tabs on things here."

"You got it, boss!" said Dorothea, while Tobias and Briar nodded in agreement.

"So, who's going with us?" Jeffrey asked. He looked at Hunter, "I know you're coming."

"You couldn't stop me even if you tied me down with mithril chains," said Hunter boldly, while Ashlynn hugged him appreciatively.

"I'll go too," said Lizzie as she shuffled her deck.

"I'm in the mood for a jaunt across the realms," said Kitty.

"And I can interview Cinderella for my blog," said Blondie eagerly, "in fact, I'll interview as many heroes and royalty of the realms as I can, get their opinion on the crisis. Pulitzer Prize, here I come!"

"Remind me to one day introduce you to my friend Spectra Vondergeist," said Cupid, "you have a lot in common."

"Thanks for volunteering to keep us company at The Base," said Dorothea.

"I didn't volunteer," said Cupid.

"Too bad, you're stuck," said Dorothea.

"It'd be folly to argue with our lady genius friend," said Tobias, "she can be rather…difficult sometimes."

"You're not so easy to get along with too," said Dorothea, "and yet we're still friends."

"That we are," said Tobias.

"Then let's get going before any more calls for help come," said Avery, "before we're too divided to effectively counter the threat."

"Amen to that, my friend," said Jeffrey.

* * *

A short time later found Apple, Raven, Maddie, Daring, Dexter, Avery, Connor and Madison in an oversized hybrid carriage in route to the realm of Red Riding Hood.

"So, tell us about your family home," said Connor as they passed through miles of countryside and farmland

"Oh, let me guess," said Madison, while Maddie poured her a cup of tea, "you've got a castle where everything is shades of red."

"Actually, my family doesn't have a castle," said Cerise, "we're more down to nature than other characters," she then looked at Apple, "not that you princesses aren't attuned to nature."

"If we didn't have our dear little friends of the forest," said Apple, "a lot of princesses wouldn't have had much of a story."

"And a boring story at that," Maddie teased as she poured a cup for herself.

"How do you do that?" Madison asked, "pour tea so perfectly."

"It comes naturally to me," said Maddie, "tea has always been associated with us Hatters. My mantis looks dashing in a tux!"

"Uh…right," said Madison.

It wasn't much longer before the hybrid carriage arrived at a large village, almost a small city on the edge of a huge forest.

"This is your home town?" Raven asked as their vehicle drove through the village streets.

"Yep," said Cerise as she made sure her hood was covering her ears, "and no one here knows my secret. Not that I'm still ashamed of it, I'm just not ready for everyone I grew up with to know."

"Gotcha," said Raven, while Apple, Daring, Dexter, Maddie, Avery, Madison and Connor, nodded in agreement.

The carriage reached an enormous cabin at the edge of the forest, almost a mansion with multiple floors and wings.

"Nice woodsy theme," said Madison as she and the others admired the log cabin mansion, "very homey."

Just then a tall woman with long brown hair, brown eyes and wearing a red cloak over a green and blue dress, walked out the front door of the mansion.

"Is that…?" Jeffrey asked.

"Yep, that's Red Riding Hood," said Apple.

Looking happier than she had in a long time, Cerise leapt out of the carriage and ran up to the woman, stopping a yard away from her, "hello, mother."

"Hello, Cerise," said the woman, Red Riding Hood. With that the two of them warmly embraced, "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"I'm fine, mom," said Cerise, "I did have a few close scrapes, but those ugly Worms are pushovers. Oh, these are my friends from school!" she then called over Raven, Apple and the others, then introduced them.

"The daughter of the Evil Queen whom finally had what it took to be herself," said Red Riding Hood as she looked at Raven in an apprising manner, "at last we meet."

"It's…an honor to meet you, Mrs. Hood," said Raven in a formal and slightly nervous tone.

"Oh please," said Red Riding Hood as she smiled warmly, "call me Amaranth."

"The girls in my family are mostly named after shades of red," said Cerise, "my grandmother, Granny, her name is Crimson, we all caller her Granny Chris, while my mom's Granny, her name was Terra Cotta, we called her Granny Terri."

"Just don't start calling me Granny Amara," said Amaranth, she then looked at Apple, "from what I hear, you have the best of your parents and so much more. I look forward to calling you Dr. White someday, as well as 'Your Grace.'"

"I'm still a long way from both," said Apple, "but thank you."

"Oh, don't be so hard on yourself," said Maddie, "as far as I'm concerned, you've already got your sheepskin. Just don't tell Lilly Bo Peep."

"Here's someone who's always ready to make someone laugh," said Amaranth. She then looked at the Charming Brothers, "and two brave souls ready to stand firm against the forces of evil." She then looked at Avery, Madison and Connor, "and three enigmas from another world. Things haven't been the same since you showed up."

"With all due respect, ma'am," said Connor, "the changes started long before we arrived."

"That jerk Cuthbert and his bugs got here first," said Madison.

"But we weren't far behind," said Avery, "the powers that be chose my friends and I to combat The Worms and defend the world against the vile machinations of The Obsidian Council."

"Speaking of which," said Cerise as she looked at her mother, "you said there's a murder investigation involving The Worms?"

"It's only a possibility," said Amaranth, "a remote possibility, but considering what happened at the school and in Book End, event he slightest possibility cannot be ignored."

"I agree," said Apple, "so, what is the situation?"

"It's complicated and I need to explain a few things first," said Amaranth. She then looked at Raven and the others, "I'm sure by now that you and your friends all know who my husband is, right?"

"And we're totally cool with it," said Raven. She then looked at Daring and Dexter, "right, boys?"

"Absolutely," said Dexter.

"So long as you're happy," said Daring.

"We are," said Amaranth, "but the rest of the world may not be so understanding. As far as everyone is concerned, my husband is Wilhelm Socrates Woodhelm, is a traveling salesman. That's the public version, but in secret, Wilhelm is actually Wilhelm 'Billy' Bad Wolf. Only a handful of humans and wolves know the full truth."

"And no one suspects that your husband isn't who he says he is?" Raven asked.

"We've kept the secret for nearly twenty years," said Amaranth "but something's happened that could change everything," said Amaranth, "something that could make the already strained relations between man and wolf erupt into open violence. Three little girls were murdered the night before last."

"Oh no!" gasped a horrified Apple, while Raven and the others looked equally shocked.

"You don't think…that a…a wolf did it, do you?" Connor asked.

"Absolutely not!" snapped Amaranth, "wolves don't attack humans unless they're threatened! And before you ask, only the current Big Bad Wolf goes after humans and only the current Granny and Red Riding Hood."

"But your Big Bad Wolf didn't," said Madison.

"True love is stronger than any imposed destiny," said Amaranth, "but enough about that. I know a wolf didn't do it, my husbands knows it, his side of the family knows it and most of the local police know, but there's murmurs and whispers in the village. Despite the evidence, there are people here whom are willing to believe that wolves are the culprits and it's only a matter of time before those people, those irrational hate mongers, get out of control and start hunting the innocent wolves."

"Well, do you know who did it?" Raven asked.

"We've got a viable suspect in custody," said Amaranth, "unfortunately, the police may have to let him go."

"Typical legal technicalities," Connor sighed irately, "the number of murderers who get off without so much as a slap on the wrist, all because the police made a mistake with the evidence or some other loophole in the law, it's just astounding."

"The problem is that we don't know which is the real murderer," said Amaranth, "you have to see it for yourself."

"We're all eyes," said Maddie as she pointed at her eyes.

A short time later found our heroes and allies at the local police station where, after Amaranth had a brief chat with the police chief, Raven and the others were lead to the observation room next to an interrogation room. A set of mirror screens had been set up on a table. Two of the screens showed the interior of the interrogation room and showed a man in his mid to late 30's with balding blond hair, gray eyes and wearing a blue and white coat and trousers and a brown fedora hat.

"Two mirror cameras of the same room?" Avery asked, "or…"

"Or they're each in a different room showing a different person," said Amaranth, "you're seeing two people whom are identical in every detail."

"Okay, slow down a second," said Madison, "back up, rewind the tape and start from the beginning. What's going on here?"

"I'll start with the actual killing," said Amaranth, "a local woodcutter heard screaming and saw blood on the ground. He ran back to town to get the police, they rushed back to the scene of the crime and found three little girls, each about 9 years old, brutally murdered. The bodies were torn to pieces and only DNA analysis was able to identify them."

"Jesus Christ," said a shocked and disgusted Connor.

"What kind of animal would do that to children?" Raven asked. She then looked at Cerise, "no offense."

"None taken," said Cerise.

"The evidence proved that it was no animal," said Amaranth, "not a wolf or any native animal to the forest."

"Worms," said Avery.

"But it was made to look like a wolf pack attacked them," said Amaranth, "bite patterns and claw marks, not to mention that parts of the bodies were missing."

"You mean eaten," said Dexter in a slightly nauseated tone.

"Yes," said Amaranth, "there were paw prints and fur traces all over, yet none of them matched the native life of the forest. But the hate mongers of the village refuse to believe the evidence. They only way they will is if we catch the real killer."

"So, what's their story?" Daring asked as he pointed at the two identical men in the interrogation rooms.

"One of the officers saw a man in the forest heading away from the scene of the murder," said Amaranth, "he got a very good look at the man and identified him as Mr. John Hill, the local veterinarian ."

"If a Worm were to impersonate a veterinarian," said Avery, "that would give it the knowledge to replicate an animal attack."

"But why are there two of them?" Connor, "Worms always kill the people whose identities they steal."

"That's the issue," said Amaranth, "when the police announced that they have a suspect, a search was made in town and before you know it, they caught both John Hill's, one in his office, the other visiting a farm to help deliver a calf. Both have solid alibis, while the word of the officer who saw the suspect is unquestionable."

"This is a conundrum of cataclysmic coordinates!" said Maddie, "who's human and who's Worm?"

"That's the riddle of the day," said Raven, "so, how do we figure out who's who?"

"There has to be a way to tell them apart," said Dexter. He then looked at Apple and the others, "if I was a Worm in human form, and I was indistinguishable from the person I was copying, how would you tell me from the original?"

"We can't," said Avery, "Worms can imitate humans down to the molecular level."

"A Worm is more than the sum of its parts," said Maddie as she added some sugar to her tea, "if you split a real worm in half, do the pieces not become new worms themselves?"

"I don't think basic biology can help us right now," said Madison, "good riddle by the way."

"Why thank you," said a smiling Maddie.

"On the other hand," said Connor, "it might just be the key. Worms do copy humans right down to their DNA, but what happens when you separate a part of the Worm from the greater whole?"

"It might revert back to its original form," said Raven, "that's brilliant!"

"Great," said Daring, "So, what do we do? Just go in there and ask both men if they mind if we cut off a finger or two?"

"Nothing as drastic," said Connor, "a few hairs or a blood sample would do. Separated from the body, the tissue might just revert back to its alien structure."

"How sure are you that this could work?" Amaranth asked.

"Well, it's only a theory right now," said Connor, "we'd have to actually take tissue samples from the two John Hill's. Then again, we really don't know that much about Worm physiology. For all we know, the separated sample could remain as human tissue for hours, or it might not revert at all." He then looked at the images of the two John Hill's, "but why didn't the Worm kill the real John Hill?"

"Maybe it didn't have time when it first got here," said Raven, "or maybe it didn't kill the real John Hill to cause trouble."

"To not only frame the wolves for murder," said Cerise, "but to also cause confusion in town and stir up more trouble."

"Exactly," said Raven, "but it still doesn't help us figure out which is the real John Hill and which is the worm."

"Can't you use your magic to tell the difference?" Madison asked Raven.

"I don't know," said Raven, "I've never used magic that way. I'll have to do some research to see if there is such a spell. I may have to come up with an original spell for this, which in itself is harder than you'd think."

"Or maybe Cerise can sniff out the critter," said Maddie, "she did it before."

"Hey, that's right!" said Raven, "at the ice cream stand on Saturday, when that group of disguised Worms surrounded us, Cerise said she could smell something wrong about them. I can't believe I forgot about it."

"Of course, Cerise's enhanced senses!" said Apple, "she can tell the difference," but then Apple frowned, "but it may not work. There were over two dozen Worms that attacked us that day, but this time there's only one."

"But this one is in an enclosed space," said Avery as he looked at the two mirrors showing the two John Hill's.

"No!" Amaranth shouted, "I won't have my daughter get into a room with one of those things!"

"She may not be in that much danger," said Connor, "if Cerise sniffs out the real John Hill first, then we'll know for sure that the other is the Worm."

"But what if she picks the creature first?" Amaranth asked, "won't the Worm attack her if it's found out?"

"She won't be alone in the room," said Raven, "I'll go in with her."

"Count me in too," said Dexter.

"No, I'll go," said Daring.

"I said I'd go," said Dexter in a slightly annoyed tone

"And I said I'd go," said Daring in a slightly annoyed tone.

"I said it first!" said a now irate Dexter.

"But I'm the oldest!" said an irate Daring.

"What difference does that make!?" Dexter asked, "are you saying I can't handle one Worm?"

"No!" Daring shouted "I'm saying that I want to do this."

"So do I!" exclaimed Dexter.

"Will you two stop it already!?" Madison spat, "seriously, you two are like, supposed to be brothers are something."

"We are brothers," said Daring.

"And brothers fight sometimes," said Dexter.

"Why don't we settle this like civilized people?" Avery asked, "as my grandmother once said," he then pointed out the window towards the sun, "'many an arguments can be resolved with just the flip of a coin.'"

"Do you always do that when quoting your grandmother?" Apple asked, "point at the sun or the stars."

"No, I don't have to do it," said Avery as he lowered his arm, "it just seems cool."

"Hey, where's Cerise?" Raven asked. Everyone looked around and Cerise was nowhere to be found.

"She wouldn't," said Amaranth in a disbelieving yet fearful tone, "she wouldn't do something that reckless."

Just then the mirror screen on the left showed Cerise entering the room, pull up a chair and sat opposite that John Hill, whom calmly stayed sitting and looking back at her.

"She did do something that reckless!" Amaranth spat as she and the others gazed at the screen with fear and amazement, "I'll ground her for a decade!"

"Assuming she lives through this," said Connor.

"We've got to get in there!" said Avery. He then looked at Dexter and Daring, "you're both coming, end of discussion, now move!"

"You got it!" said Dexter and Daring at the same time nodded in agreement. With that the three of them hurried out of the room.

"I just hope they get there in time," said Madison.

"They will," said Amaranth, "they've just got to."

"I wish we could hear what's going on," said Apple as she looked at the screen, where, apparently, Cerise and John Hill were having a staring contest.

"Why isn't there audio?" Connor asked.

"Minor spell glitch, or so I was told," said Amaranth.

"She's just sitting there," said Maddie, "she's not asking any questions or talking, or even offering him a cup of tea. She's doing nothing."

"No, she's breathing," said Connor, "even with the air conditioner turned on in that room, by now that volume of air is permeated with his pheromones. If that man is a Worm, we'll know for sure in a moment."

Just then a police officer hurried into the room and whispered something into Amaranth's ear. "What!?" she exclaimed, "they found another John Hill!?"

A few seconds later another police officer escorted the third John Hill into the observation room.

"Red Riding Hood," said the third John Hill, "I heard about the two impostors. I can assure you that I'm the real John Hill."

"That's just what a Worm would say," Madison said as she crossed her arms.

"I must admit, Mr. Hill," said Amaranth, "your word alone isn't enough to clear you."

"How can I prove that I am who I am?" the third John Hill asked.

"You can't," said Connor, "at least not until Cerise is done with the other two."

"She'll sniff out the impostors and then clear you of any wrong doing," said Apple.

"Unless…" said Raven in a thoughtful manner, an expression of horror dawning on her face, "unless the real John Hill is dead."

"My God!" exclaimed Connor, "how can I have missed it!? All three are Worms!"

Just then Cerise backed away from the John Hill she was facing, her eyes flashing yellow as she growled at the man, whom was calmly standing up and smiling wickedly. The man shimmered and morphed into a green and yellow wolf spider-like creature.

"It's already Molted!" Apple exclaimed, just as Avery, Dexter and Daring burst into the interrogation room, only for the Wolf Spider Worm to leap at Cerise. She dodged the creature, only for it to grab her and throw her against the wall, hitting a weak spot and crashing through the structure into the hallway, with the creature not far behind, while Avery, Dexter and Daring quickly following.

At the same time, the second John Hill morphed into a similar Wolf Spider Worm, only this one was orange and blue. It also burst out of the room and into the hallway.

"Well, this sucks," said Madison.

"It's about to get worse," said the third John Hill as she smiled viciously.

Raven then got in front of Apple, then bade Amaranth to get behind her as well. She then summoned a purple fireball, "so, you're a Worm too. Tell me, did Cuthbert send you to take me and kill Apple?"

"My brothers and I had no idea you were coming," said the third John Hill, "our mission was to sew discord and violence in this realm."

"So all three of you impersonated John Hill and killed those three girls," said Amaranth in a wrathful tone.

"That was the easy part of the plan," said the third John Hill, "a few dead bodies, a few carefully whispered words in a few carefully chosen ears, then my brothers and I just sit back and watch the bloodshed unfold."

"You're trying to start a war between humans and wolves!" said Apple in an accusing tone.

"That's the plan," said the third John Hill, "but plans change!" he then morphed into a purple and red wolf spider-like creature.

"Now that you two are here," said the purple and red Wolf Spider Worm, "I can deliver you," he pointed at Raven, then at Apple, "and your head, to Mr. Snyder!"

"Guess again!" shouted Madison as she pulled out a stun gun, aimed and fired at the Wolf Spider Worm. A pair of electrodes shot from the pistol and embedded themselves in the creature's carapace and electricity began flowing through the connecting wires. The creature convulsed slightly as it was electrocuted, but then it grabbed the wires and ripped the electrodes out of itself.

"That actually stung a bit," said the purple and red Wolf Spider Worm. It then began staking towards Madison, "I think I'll eat your head!" But then it was hit by Raven's fireball, followed by a stream of purple fire that slammed the creature through the wall and outside the building.

"I can only imagine the field day the police department will have over this mess," said Connor.

"That's assuming we're still alive to be sued," said Amaranth. "Come on!" with that they rushed outside. There they found not only the purple and red Wolf Spider Worm, but also the green and yellow one, whom was circling against Cerise, while Daring and Avery were helping Dexter out of harms way, blood dripping from his scalp.

"Dexter!" shouted Raven. She tried to run to him, but the purple and red Wolf Spider Worm blocked her path.

"Sorry, but you're not going anywhere!" the creature shouted as it tried to grab Raven, whom dodged its grasping claws and threw another fireball at it, but the flames merely bounced off of the creature.

"I've got to get over there!" Apple said as she pulled out her first aid kit, "I have to see how seriously hurt Dexter is!"

"With two Molted Worms in the area, no chance!" said Connor, "they'll eat you alive before you get anywhere near Dexter."

"We need a distraction," said Madison. She then smiled mischievously, "and I happen to have one right up my sleeves." She then began walking closer to the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm.

"I knew it!" exclaimed Connor, "you're crazy!"

"Nope," said Madison confidently, "just full of surprises." She then stopped a few yards from the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm, "hey, crap face! Eat this!" she then aimed her left arm at the creature and a Derringer pistol slid out from her sleeve and into her hand. She aimed, pulled the hammer back and pulled the trigger, firing off a bullet with a loud 'BANG!' and the bullet hit the creature in one of its eight eyes.

The green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm roared with pain and fury as it clutched at its mangled eye, allowing Cerise an opening for her to rush at the creature and tackle it to the ground.

"That was both foolish and fantastic!" said Apple as she and Connor rushed past Madison on their way to Dexter.

"Thanks," said Madison as she opened the double barrel of her Derringer, ejected the spent cartridge from the top barrel and loaded a fresh one.

"Why do you have a sleeve gun?" Connor asked.

"I just want to know why you have a gun in the first place?" Avery asked as Apple checked Dexter's wound.

"I'm just full of surprises," said Madison as she pushed her Derringer back into place on the sleeve holster.

"Makes you wonder what else she has up her sleeves," said Dexter, he then winced in pain as Apple touched head.

"It looks worse than it is," said Apple as she checked the wound, "a minor scalp laceration, a few stitches and some aspirin and you'll be fine. Oh, and your ankle's fractured."

"Oh, man!" Dexter moaned, "I feel totally useless."

"No you're not, little brother," said Daring, "you got that fractured ankle and your forehead cut when you pushed me out of the way. If you hadn't, that Worm would have taken my head off."

"Let's make sure that no one else loses their head today," said Avery as he stood up. He raised his right hand and caught Kabuto Zector as it flew out of its portal, while his Rider Belt materialized around his waste.

"Henshin!" Avery shouted as he slid his Zector into place on his belt.

**HENSHIN**

Energy hexagons flashed out from the belt, materializing into the Masked form of Kabuto. He then flipped the horn of his Zector, causing energy to crackle as his armor segments separated. "Cast Off!" he said as he pressed the Zector horn home.

**CAST OFF**

The armor segments blasted away from Kabuto. The yellow and green Wolf Spider Worm dodged them but the purple and red one was hit and knocked off its clawed feet.

**CHANGE: BEETLE**

"You're going to rue the day you meddled in our affairs, Kabuto!" shouted the purple and red Wolf Spider Worm as it got up. It and its green and yellow comrade then accelerated and rushed at the red armored warrior.

"Clock Up!" Kabuto shouted as he pressed the button on the side of his belt.

**CLOCK UP**

Reality blurred and brightened as Kabuto accelerated and found himself facing two Wolf Spider Worms in hyper time, dodging the claw strikes of one and countering the attacks of the other.

But then the blue and orange Wolf Spider Worm appeared and attack, pitting Kabuto against three creatures at once and forcing him back. He managed to block several of their attacks but was too slow to block a claw strike that inflicted spark damage across his chest plate, knocking him off his feet and back into normal time.

**CLOCK OVER**

Kabuto landed on the ground with a pained grunt as the three Wolf Spider Worms returned to normal time and began attacking him again, each one taking turns to slash at the red armored warrior.

Cerise tried to jump in and harass the blue and orange Wolf Spider Worm but the creature swatted her away, causing her to land hard on the ground.

"Cerise!" Amaranth shouted as she ran to her daughter, while the three Wolf Spider Worms continued to thrash Kabuto.

"I'm alright, mom," said Cerise, while Maddie, Apple and Madison ran over, "I'm just shaken up, that's all."

"She's more than a little shaken up," said Apple as she examined Cerise, "you've got fractured bones all over. If you try to fight again, Cerise, you could end up crippled for life."

"Now that sucks," said Madison.

"I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, Cerise," said Amaranth, "if only your father were here."

"Hey, were is big daddy wolf?" Madison asked as she looked around in confusion.

"Back at Book End," said Amaranth, "I should have called for him at the first sign of trouble," she then looked at Cerise, "and now you're hurt. This is all my fault."

"No, mom," said Cerise, "you didn't do anything wrong." He eyes then widened with inspiration, "wait, that's it! Call!" she then stood up, ignoring the protests from Apple and Amaranth. Cerise then took a deep breath, drawing in more air than a normal set of lungs could hold and let out a wolf howl that echoed throughout the town and deep into the forest, startling the three Wolf Spider Worms long enough for Kabuto to regroup and back away a few paces.

"What was that crap?" the purple and red Wolf Spider Worm asked.

"You'll find out in a minute or so," Cerise as she smiled confidently. She then grunted in pain and lost her balance. She almost fell to the ground but was caught by Apple and Amaranth.

"I warned you about moving," said Apple as she and Amaranth gently placed Cerise on the ground, "that does it; no more moving around for you for the next several hours, and I mean it."

"It matters not," said the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm as it approached them, "you won't be among the living for much longer."

"Don't take another step!" said Maddie as she stood up and flipped her hat into her throwing disk, "or you'll be limping away! You'll walk over, but you'll be limping away!"

"I won't walk away until I've eaten you whole!" said the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm, while its comrades were fighting Kabuto again.

"Then I'll do my best to give you the mother of all tummy aches!" said Maddie.

But then came the sound of three wolves howling.

"Now what?" Madison asked.

"Hope," said a smiling Amaranth.

"It's my people, that's what!" exclaimed a slightly dizzy Cerise.

Three large and brown streaks then ran into the area, revealing themselves to be enormous wolves. One of them tackled the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm, while the other two tackled the blue and orange one and the purple and red one.

"Are they part of your husband's pack?" Apple asked as she and the others watched the three wolves fight the Wolf Spider Worms.

"More than part of the pack," said Amaranth, "I do believe they're three of my in-laws."

"Enough of this nonsense!" shouted the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm. It then threw off the wolf it was fighting, said wolf gracefully landing on its feet several yards away. The green and yellow creature then Clocked Up and rushed at the time-frozen wolf.

But then Raven entered hyper time, standing between the frozen and oncoming Worm with an enormous fireball raised above her head.

"Eat this!" shouted Raven as she threw the fireball at the green and yellow Wolf Spider Worm. The creature tried to avoid the oncoming burning projectile but its momentum carried it forward into the conflagration's path. The fireball hit it and the creature exploded.

Raven gasped with relief as she returned to normal time and nearly collapsed to the ground, only to be caught by Maddie and Madison, "are you alright?" the latter asked.

"Just tired," said Raven, "accelerating into hyper time and powering up that big of a fireball drained me more than I thought it would."

"When the irresistible force meets the immovable object, someone's going to get hurt," said Maddie.

"You know, the disturbing thing is that that kinda makes sense," said Madison.

Just then everyone heard the blue and orange Wolf Spider Worm roar in pain, then saw that Daring had stabbed the creature in the back with his sword, only for the creature to swat Daring away. He landed hard on his side a few yards away, scratched and bleeding here and there but otherwise unharmed.

"Is that the best you can do, boy?" the blue and orange Wolf Spider Worm asked.

"Not by far," said Daring as he got back up, "and impaling you was only part of the plan! Now, Connor! Now!"

"Taste the rainbow, mother fraker!" shouted Connor as he activated an app on his phone, causing Daring's sword to crackle with energy. The blue and orange Wolf Spider Worm roared with pain and fury before exploding.

"How'd you do that?" Apple asked Connor and Daring.

"I rigged his sword with a high energy discharger," said Connor, "like Madison, I'm full of surprises!"

"No more surprises!" shouted the purple and orange Wolf Spider Worm, only to be punched in the face by Kabuto.

"My thoughts exactly," said Kabuto as he kicked the creature in the side, knocking it down. He then pressed the buttons on his Zector.

**ONE**

**TWO **

**THREE**

He then flicked the horn of his Zector back to its original position, "Rider Kick!" he said before flicking the horn back again.

**RIDER KICK**

The purple and orange Wolf Spider Worm roared with fury as it ran at Kabuto, whom then delivered an energy charged roundhouse kick to its face that caused the creature to explode. When the blast cleared, there stood Kabuto as he raised his hand and pointed his finger at the sun. He then powered down and walked over to Amaranth, "I believe this solves the mystery of John Hill and the three innocent girls."

"Yes," said Amaranth, "I wish those three children weren't caught in the middle of this. No one should."

"You won't get any arguments from me," said Raven, her voice carrying an edge of anger, "but so long as that monster, that inhuman thing, Cuthbert, is on the lose, so long as The Worms are here and The Obsidian Council has their way, no one is safe, not even innocent children."

"All we can do is try to save as many people we can," said Daring as he and Connor helped Dexter back up.

"Darn right," said Connor. He then looked at Daring, "sorry about blowing up your sword there."

"It's just a sword," said Daring as he found and picked up the scorched handle and a few inches of blade still left, "a tool that, like all tools, are useless without hands to wield them."

"Now that's something my grandmother should have said," Avery remarked after powering down to his normal attire.

"We can make a new sword," said Dexter, "one better, stronger and cooler."

"I can research some spells for enchanting weapons," said Raven.

"We can make the ultimate Worm slaying sword!" said Maddie, "and give it a really neat name, like 'Worm Whomper!' or 'Worm Whacker!'"

"We'll figure it out later," said Apple.

Just then they heard Cerise laughing. They turned and saw her being licked by the three large wolves. Closer inspection revealed that one was a female, while one of the two males was a bit shorter in height than the other.

"Cut it out! I'm wounded!" Cerise laughed.

"Everyone," said Amaranth, "meet my in-laws," she pointed at the female wolf, "my sister in-law Lucrezia," then at the taller male, "my uncle in-law Cicero," and the shorter male, "and my nephew Travis."

"Oh, they're so cute!" exclaimed Maddie, just as Lucrezia and Travis loped over to Maddie and allowed her to pet them, "they're so big and strong and just so adorable, I could eat them with tea and cake!" she then received a 'thank you' lick from Lucrezia.

But then Apple's phone rang, "it's Ashlynn," she said. She then accepted the call and put the phone to her ear, "yes, Ashlynn…yes, everything's alright now, we took care of the problem…you're finished too?…what!?…how?…okay, we'll be over there as soon as we can…yes…yes…we'll be there, just hold on." She then hung up.

"I take it that things didn't go so well in Cinderella's realm," said Avery.

"It's good news and bad news," said Apple, "the good news is that Clare and Jeffrey wiped out the Worm infestation and destroyed the Negative Plant before it bloomed."

"That's great news," said Madison, "awesome news."

"Fantastic news," said Maddie, "phantasmagorical news!"

"What's the bad news?" Raven asked cautiously.

"Clare's been abducted," said Apple somberly, "The Worms, they took her."

There was a few seconds of stunned silence before Madison spoke, "okay, that sucks."

…_The End Is Just The Beginning…_


	9. Chapter 8: Clare's Tribulation

**Chapter 8: Clare's Tribulation**

…**Cinderella's Realm…A few hours ago…**

"It's…uh…it's…uh," said a very nervous Hunter as he, Ashlynn, Lizzie, Kitty, Blondie, Jeffrey and Clare, stood outside the lavish and grand castle that was home to the Cinderella dynasty. There to greet them was Ashlynn's Mother, the current Cinderella, a tall woman of warm beauty with long, straight, honey blond hair, blue eyes and an expression full of kindness and love, wearing a simple blue and white dress with matching shoes and only a gold wedding ring on her right hand as jewelry. Ashlynn had introduced her friends to her mother, and now she had just introduced her boyfriend.

"It's…uh…" Hunter kept trying to speak but his words kept failing him, much to the silent enjoyment of Lizzie, Kitty and Jeffrey.

"I'm sorry, mom," said Ashlynn, "Hunter's not usually like this."

"I assume so," said Cinderella, "if he's going to be your one true love, then I hope he is able to properly introduce himself."

"I can introduce myself," said Hunter in an annoyed tone, "I'm just…it's…I…uh…that is…"

"Oh, just say it, you pussy!" laughed Jeffrey.

"It's-very-nice-to-meet-you-Mrs. Ella!" exclaimed Hunter rapidly, "I mean, your majesty, I mean…"

"Oh, call me Rowan," said Cinderella, Rowan, "considering how discombobulated things have become in the world, the very least we can be is on first name basis."

"Yes, very nice to meet you, Rowan," said Clare impatiently, "now, what's this about Worms in your kingdom?"

"Yes, the Worms," said Rowan in a somber tone, "they certainly have stirred up a lot of trouble. We'll save the getting to know you part for later."

"Tell us everything, Queen Cinderella," said Blondie, her journalistic side insisting on keeping things formal as she set her mirror tablet to record, "what's the situation?"

"It started early in the morning," said Rowan as she showed our heroes inside the castle, moving through the ornately decorated hallways, "I had just received word of the battle at Ever After High, as well as the fact that Headmaster Grimm had been lying about The Worms for several days now. I still find it hard to believe that Milton Grimm would do something so reckless as to cover up a genuine threat to the world."

"Headmaster Grimm believed in his reasons, whatever they were," said Lizzie as she shuffled her cards, "but that did not make them right."

"Yes, well," said Rowan, "almost as soon as I put the paper down, that's when The Worms invaded the town outside the castle."

It was then that the group passed by a large set of double doors that led to an enormous room. Ashlynn paused by the doors to look in. It took Hunter, Rowan and the others a few seconds to realized that one of their own had been left behind. They turned around and walked back to Ashlynn, whom was gazing longingly at the half-finished decorations set up in the grand ballroom.

"I'm so sorry, Ashlynn," said Rowan as she stood behind her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "but considering how chaotic things have become, your father and I thought it wise to postpone the ball."

"It's alright, mom," said Ashlynn, though the tone of longing in her voice said otherwise, "it's just…I had hoped to see you and dad dance one last time before…"

"Before you got sold into virtual slavery for who knows how many years?" Clare asked irately, "and on that note, how could you possibly look forward to being at the beck and call of three heartless bitches? You're going to have to cook, clean and dress those horrible, wicked women for several years until your fairy godmother shows up. How on Earth can you look forward to all those years of misery?"

At that Ashlynn glared at Clare, "what do you know about my story? About the story of every Cinderella since the beginning? It's not about enjoying years of slavery. It's about holding onto virtues and inner goodness through a time of misery, to prove to any and all who read the story that holding on to that which shines in your heart can never be destroyed by hardship, that virtue and goodness has its rewards."

"And you were prepared to accept the reward of marrying someone you wouldn't love," said Clare, "you signed The Storybook of Legends, knowing full well that you might never see your one true love again and get stuck in a loveless marriage and…" that's as far as Clare got before Jeffrey clamped his hands on her mouth.

"I'm sorry about my friend," said Jeffrey as Clare struggled to remove his hands from her, her eyes glairing wrathfully at him, "she kinda talks a little too much, know what I mean?"

"But she's right," said Ashlynn, "I would have gotten my happily ever after, but in truth, deep down inside my heart, I would have been absolutely miserable without Hunter, just as he would be miserable without me," she then gripped Hunter's hand, he returning her grip with equal feeling as Ashlynn looked at Rowan, "I was looking forward to the handoff ball, but not any more. The time of blindly repeating traditions is over. I'm sorry, mom, but I cannot follow in your footsteps, not so long as the threat of The Obsidian Council looms over our world."

At that Rowan warmly embraced her daughter, "you have more courage than I did when I was your age," she said as tears began to fall from her eyes, "I too wanted to break tradition, but I, like so may others in my generation, we were too afraid to follow our hearts and forge our own destinies."

"You mean…?" Ashlynn asked.

"I too loved someone else before I signed The Storybook of Legends," said Rowan, "and he loved me in turn, but we signed over our destinies to the book. Don't get me wrong, Ashlynn, I grew to love your father, just as he loves me and we both love you with all our hearts, but my soul mate is forever beyond my reach," she then stood up, wiped her eyes and regained her composure, "but that's another story for another time. There's eough dirty work ahead for all of us."

She then showed our heroes to the castle library where a map of the castle ground and surrounding township was displayed on a table. Throughout the town were several red X's, while a large circular area had been marked with red stripes. Around the circle were multiple blue and green dots.

"The X's are sights of Worm attacks," said Rowan as she pointed at the map, "but we know now that the attacks were just distractions. That circle area has been completely taken over by The Worms. Any attempt by police and military forces to enter that area has been met with disastrous results."

"Normal military tactics are useless against The Worms," said Clare as she looked at the map, "I assume the blue and green dots represent the cops and local soldiers? If so, I suggest that they get as far away from 'Worm Central' as possible before anyone else is needlessly killed."

"I've already given orders for our forces to hold their positions," said Rowan, "but if you think it is necessary, I'll have them withdraw. I assume you'll be going in to fight The Worms."

"You bet you glass slippers we will," said Jeffrey as he smiled confidently.

"I wouldn't be so eager to charge into that enemy hot spot," said Lizzie as she looked at the map, "unless you wish to throw your head away."

"Unlike us Wonderlanders," said Kitty, "if your head comes off," her body then vanished, leaving only her grinning head floating in midair, "it won't come back on." Her head then vanished, her trademark smile being the last to flash out, only for all of her to reappear on the other side of the table.

"I thought it was just you who could take your head off and put it back on," said Hunter.

"Not just me," said Kitty, "it's a trait unique to the Cheshire family. It allows us to be a bit more reckless than others." She then gave Clare a knowing wink.

"I never said I wanted to recklessly charge in," said Clare irately, "we need a plan, we need info on the enemy plan. Does anyone have any idea what The Worms are up to in the area they control?"

"Every attempt at reconnaissance has failed," said Rowan.

"What about seismic activity?" Blondie asked, "has there been any tremors?" She then looked at the map, "I'd bet a lifetime of porridge that The Worms are looking for just the right place to plant another Negative Seed."

"Like what happened at Book End the other night?" Hunter asked, "and at school last night?"

"Exactly," said Blondie, "they failed to make a Negative Plant bloom twice, so now they're hoping the third time's the charm."

"Then let's prove them wrong," said Clare as she cracked her knuckles, "get your thinking caps on, people. We've got a rotten weed to wack."

* * *

A short time later found Jeffrey, Lizzie and Kitty approaching the eastern limit of the area controlled by The Worms. The police and military had set up multiple layers of barricades and sandbag walls, while a wide white line marked the edge of the enemy zone.

"Everyone else has been pulled back," said Jeffrey as he, Lizzie and Kitty reached the white line. He then looked at the two Wonderlanders, "it's just us. Am I the only one who thinks this is a really bad idea?"

"You didn't think so when Clare thought of it," said Kitty as she gave her nails a last minute filing.

"Yeah, but that was then," said Jeffrey, "this is now."

"If you're such a coward," said Lizzie as she shuffled her deck of cards, "then why did you become a rider?"

"I never said I was afraid," said Jeffrey, "I just don't like this plan, that's all. But it's too late to think of something else." He then held out his hand and his Drake Grip appeared, while the Drake Zecter emerged from a portal above. The dragonfly-like machine then docked with the pistol grip, "Henshin!" he then pulled the trigger.

**HENSHIN**

A wave of energy hexagons flowed from the Drake Grip, materializing around Jeffrey as the Masked form of Drake. "Let's get light this candle!" he said as he stepped over the white line, followed by Lizzie and Kitty.

Almost immediately they were surrounded by Salis Worms.

"Oh look," said Kitty as she smiled her usual mischievous smile, "they came out to play."

"I've got an idea for a game that they would just love to play," said Lizzie, "it's called…OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!" with that she threw one of her exploding cards at a Worm, the paper bomb exploding on impact, destroying the creature in a green fireball. This acted as a signal that sent the other Salis Worms shuffling forward to attack.

"Look on the bright side," said Drake as he aimed his blaster at the oncoming creatures, "there's so many, we can't miss!" he then pulled the trigger and destroyed first one, then another, then another Worm, while Lizzie threw more exploding cards. At the same time, Kitty vanished, only to appear atop one of the Worms and delivered a double claw strike to its head. She flashed out just as the creature exploded, then appeared next to another, delivering multiple claw slashes and flashing out.

* * *

A block to the west, a manhole cover lifted up from the street and from it emerged Clare, who looked around before speaking down into the manhole, "all clear." She climbed up onto the street and was shortly followed by Blondie, Hunter and Ashlynn.

"I can't believe it worked," said Blondie as she cautiously looked around and found the street empty, "not a Worm in sight."

"Except for the ones back there," said Hunter as he pointed east at the ongoing battle at the zone perimeter, "shouldn't we go back and help them?"

"Jeffrey and the others are fighting to keep the enemy occupied," said Clare, "I figured that there were a limited number of Worms in the area and most of them are meant to keep anyone from getting to whatever they're guarding. But if someone snuck in underground while the guard Worms were fighting, then what's to stop us from walking right into their nest or whatever they've got here?"

"I just hope we don't run into anything until we find what we're looking for," said Ashlynn, "I also hope our friends can hold out until we're finished."

"They're fine," said Clare, "come on, if this is another Negative Seed, then we've got to kill it before it starts growing roots." With that they hurried on through the street.

It wasn't long before they came to an intersection of two major roads where four Salis Worms were standing around a large hole in the pavement. Nearby was a containment box that held a Negative Seed.

Clare, Hunter, Ashlynn and Blondie took cover around a building corner and watched as a Molted Worm resembling a green and brown trapdoor spider, emerged from the hole. A hologram of Dr. Claymore appeared next to the creature, "how goes the digging?" the mad scientist asked.

"It's bloody awful, that's how it's going!" said the Trapdoor Spider Worm, "I'm hitting bloody bedrock here! Are you sure this is where Mr. Snyder wants the seed planted?"

"It's exactly where Mr. Snyder wants the Negative Seed planted, you dunce!" snapped Dr. Claymore, "now get digging and keep digging until you reach viable soil!" with that the hologram ended.

"I don't know why I bloody bother arguing," muttered the Trapdoor Spider Worm. It then jumped into the hole again.

"So that's what they're up to," said Blondie, who had been recording the conversation between Worm and hologram with her mirror tablet, "they're digging to find a good spot to plant that horrible seed."

"But this doesn't make any sense," said Ashlynn, "why are they trying to plant that seed in the middle of town? There's plenty of good soil outside the town limits, not that I don't mind them choosing not to pollute the land with that filthy thing."

"I'm just glad that the enemy has chosen this moment to be very, very stupid," said Clare eagerly as her Henshin Brace appeared on her wrist, "all the better for us," she then looked at Blondie as the TheBee Zecter appeared and she caught it. "Henshin!" said Clare as she snapped her Zecter into place on her transformation accessory.

**HENSHIN**

Energy hexagons flowed out from the brace, materializing into the Masked form of TheBee as she stepped out from behind cover and walked towards the quartet of Salis Worms, "hey, you slimy scumbags!" shouted TheBee, "your mothers were fish bait and your dads were eaten by crows!"

This got the attention of the four Salis Worms, whom shuffled towards TheBee with malicious intent.

"I hope you're recording this, Blondie," said TheBee as she folded the wings back on her Zecter, causing the segments of her armor to separate, "cause it's going on YouTube after we're done here. Cast Off!" she then twisted her Zecter around on the brace with the stinger pointing out.

**CAST OFF**

Her armor segments blasted out towards the oncoming Salis Worms. Two of them ducked but the other two were hit by the segments and self destructed.

**CHANGE: WASP**

"What's YouTube?" Blondie asked as TheBee fired her stinger bullets at the remaining Salis Worms. One was hit and exploded, but the other ducked the lethal projectiles.

"Must be something from her world," said Ashlynn as she and Hunter watched the battle unfold.

Just then the remaining Salis Worm quivered as it Molted, becoming a red and blue chigger-like creature, its mandibles gnashing in anticipation of latching onto a human victim.

"You want to suck my blood?" TheBee asked daringly, she then beckoned the Chigger Worm with her hand, "come and get me!" At that the creature accelerated and rushed towards her, "Clock Up!" TheBee shouted as she pressed the button on her belt.

**CLOCK UP**

Reality blurred and brightened as TheBee accelerated into hyper time to deliver a devastating punch to the midsection of the Chigger Worm. The creature tried to counter but TheBee struck first with another punch, followed by a multiple punch and kick combo that knocked the creature to the ground and back into normal time.

**CLOCK OVER**

TheBee returned to normal time as well as she pressed the button on her Zecter, "Rider Sting!" she shouted.

**RIDER STING**

Energy crackled from her wasp-like Zector as the Chigger Worm got back up, but TheBee rushed in and delivered a tachyon-charged punch that made the creature explode.

"Well," said Jeffrey as he, Kitty and Lizzie ran up to Blondie, Hunter and Ashlynn, "he certainly went out with a bang."

TheBee powered down and Clare glared irately at Jeffrey, "don't you have any good puns in you at all?" she asked.

"I thought that was a good pun," said Jeffrey, he then looked at Blondie and the others, "wasn't it a good pun?"

"It was…adequate," said Lizzie.

"Eh…I've heard better," said Kitty.

"At least you tried," said Ashlynn.

"Yeah, I earned my gold star for the day," said Jeffrey.

"I think we earned two this time," said Hunter, "we stopped the enemy before they planted the seed."

"That's right, we did!" Blondie said eagerly. She then looked down at the abandoned containment unit, "you think it's safe to touch?"

"I don't know about touching it now," said Clare, "but if we can get it back to The Base and have Dorothea analyze it, then…"

"Then we can figure out how to better kill these things!" said Jeffrey eagerly.

"I thinking more along the line of figuring out where they came from," said Clare, "and then destroy them at the source, but yeah, it would make our job that much easier."

"Then let's get this thing back to The Base," said Hunter. He then picked up the containment case. But he then frowned and looked at the case from different angles.

"What's wrong?" Ashlynn asked.

"I don't know," said Hunter, "I think…there's something not quite right with this thing."

"Of course there's something not quite right with it," said Kitty, "it's holding a seed capable of mass destruction."

"That's not what I meant," said Hunter, "I think…"

But then the top of the container popped open and from it came a bright flash and a loud BANG! that left Clare, Jeffrey, Blondie, Hunter, Ashlynn, Kitty and Lizzie blinded and deafened for several seconds.

"Well, that was bloody easy," said the Trapdoor Spider Worm as it emerged from the hole in the pavement, "'just wait in the hole until they pick up the box.' Yes, bloody easy," it then walked over to the discombobulated Clare and picked her up, "now to finish the bloody job and bring this one to Dr. Claymore."

"Leave her alone!" shouted Hunter as he and the others tried to get back up but they were too disoriented to keep their balance. Jeffrey tried to blast the creature with his Drake Shooter but his eyes were still suffering from the flash and his aim was way off.

"Catch you bloody boobs on the flip side!" said the Trapdoor Spider Worm as it jumped into the hole with the still disoriented Clare. The hole then collapsed after it, making pursuit virtually impossible.

"Oh man, this sucks," said Jeffrey after he and the others regained their full senses and balance.

"I don't think this was part of the plan," said Blondie in a subdued tone.

"Oh really, you think?!" an annoyed Kitty asked. She then saw that Ashlynn had pulled out her phone, "now what are you doing?"

"Calling Apple and the others," said Ashlynn, "if we're going to rescue Clare, we're going to need all the help we can get."

* * *

…**A Few Hours Later…**

"The whole thing must have been a trap set by the enemy," said Raven. Upon hearing that Clare had been abducted, Raven, along with Apple, Daring, Dexter, Cerise, Avery, Madison and Connor, raced to Cinderella's realm as fast as they could and were brought up to speed as soon as they got there. Our heroes had regrouped at the castle and were trying to figure out what to do next.

"But why?" Dexter asked, "why would Cuthbert want to kidnap Clare?"

"It was apparently the work of Dr. Claymore," said Lizzie, "or at least that's what the Worm who took Clare said."

"But that still doesn't explain why," said Dexter.

"We'll find out when we beat the truth out of the creeps," said Jeffrey, "this is my fault. I should have finished the fight with all those Salis Worms sooner."

"Hey, we were there too," said Kitty, "we couldn't have finished it any sooner," she then irately crossed her arms, "no matter how much I wished we could have."

"At least you took out those wormies before they hurt anyone else," said Maddie, "the early cat catches the critter, right?"

"Ms. Hatter, please," said Lizzie, "there's a time and a place for everything," she then held up an axe whose blade she had been polishing, then tested its edge on one of her hairs, "hmm, needs a bit of sharpening," she then gabbed a whetstone and began running the edge of the axe over it.

"What are you doing with that?" Jeffrey asked.

"Well, I can't cut off Dr. Claymore's head with an exploding card, now can I?" Lizzie asked, "I could blast her head into pulp, but there's nothing as satisfying as a good decapitation," she then tested the edge with another of her hairs, "still needs more sharpening," she then ran the edge on the whetstone again, "a singe axe stroke is the sign of a well _executed _beheading, pun intended."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Jeffrey asked.

"Of course I'm crazy, darling," said Lizzie, "I'm from Wonderland, what else did you expect?"

"Could we get back to the more important issue here?" Hunter asked, "one of our own has been taken and the enemy is doing who knows what to her?"

"Clare can handle herself in a crisis," said Avery, "but that doesn't mean we shouldn't just wait for Cuthbert to call with ransom demands. We'll find her," he then looked at Connor, whom had been working on a laptop, "are we connected with The Base?"

"The link's up and running," said Connor. He then indicated a Face Time window on the computer screen, which showed Dorothea, Briar and Tobias.

"We're reading you loud and clear, Avery," said Dorothea.

"Are you guys alright?" Briar asked.

"I got a little banged up," said Cerise, "but I'll be alright."

"Everyone else is fine, Briar," said Apple, "how are things back in Book End?"

"Good and not so good," said Briar, "there haven't been any more Worm attacks and no one has gone missing as far as we can tell."

"Then the Worms aren't stealing any identities at the village," said Dexter.

"What's the not so bad news?" Raven asked.

"You know that pulsating purple stain left by the Negative Roots?" Briar asked, "well, no one has been able to figure out exactly what it is. Magic users, scholars and just about every big thinker in the realms is looking into the stains at the park and at Ever After High but they've got nothing."

"Except for the fact that the stains are spreading," said Tobias.

"I was getting to that," said Briar, "yes, the stains are getting bigger, like a millimeter or two every few hours."

"So the corruption that Cuthbert spoke of," said Avery, "it's beginning to infect the world."

"But…it's not spreading fast, right?" Ashlynn asked, "I mean, we've got time to figure out what to do about it, right?"

"For now, yes," said Tobias, "but so far only two Negative Plants have spread their vile roots. It's only a matter of time before another foul seed is planted."

"There's still so little we know about the lifecycle of the Negative Plant," said Dorothea, "for one thing, the stains in the village and at the school, what would happen if the two got big enough to combine? And then there's the Negative Spoors the enemy is so eager to spread, who knows what they'll do if they're ever released on the wind?"

"We can't let that happen!" said Raven, "we've got to find the source of these things!"

"That's what Clare wanted to find out when she picked up the box," said Blondie, "the one with the banger flash bomb or whatever it was."

"Flash bang," said Avery, "and we will find and destroy the source of the seeds. But first we've got to find Clare," he then looked at the image of Dorothea, "how's that coming?"

"I've already activated the tracking feature on her phone," said Dorothea, "we'll be able to pin down her location soon."

"No, that won't work," said Dexter, "the first thing the enemy would do would be to get rid of her phone."

"They'd probably smash it or leave it someplace else for us to find," said Daring.

"Or strap it to a Worm and have it lead us on a wild turkey chase across hill and dale!" said Maddie as she gestured wildly with her teacup, splashing hot tea over Kitty and Lizzie.

"I've already taken that into consideration," said Dorothea, "which is why I've turned on a secondary locator that Clare doesn't know she has on her."

"What secondary locator?" Tobias asked, "this is the first I heard of it."

"Me too," said Madison, while Jeffrey, Connor and Avery shrugged their shoulders.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you all got the memo," said Dorothea, "you all have watches, right?"

"Yeah, so?" Jeffrey asked as he looked at his watch, while Madison, Avery, Connor and Tobias did the same.

"I hid the tracking devices in your watches," said Dorothea, "Clare's watch has one too and I'll be able to home in on that one as well."

"When did we start doing memos?" Madison asked, to which Jeffrey responded with a shrug.

"I still don't get what the enemy is up to," said Dexter, "why Clare? If they wanted to kidnap one of us, they could just as easily taken any of us."

"To force me to give myself up," said Raven, "maybe that is what Cuthbert is up to now. Me for Clare."

"If he wanted a trade, he would have contacted us with his demands by now," said Avery, "no, something else is going on."

"Oh, that's convenient," said a mildly surprised Dorothea, "her phone tracker and watch tracker are both active, with her phone less than ten meters from her watch."

"Where?!" Jeffrey asked.

"Approximately five kilometers south southwest from your location," said Dorothea, "hilly terrain overlooking a river."

"You think that could be the enemy base?" Apple asked.

"If it is, then we're going to tear Cuthbert a new one!" said Kitty.

"I know that area," said Ashlynn, "it's an old dwarf mine that played out centuries ago. There's miles and miles of tunnels beneath those hills. My mother told me to never play there," she then spoke in a more subdued and slightly afraid tone, "there's been rumors of strange things in those tunnels, and even stories of ghosts."

"Ghosts?" Madison asked in a trembling tone, "ghosts!?"

At that Jeffrey, Hunter, Kitty and Lizzie laughed heartily, "you…you're afraid of ghosts?!" Jeffrey asked between chortles.

"Well, I have to be afraid of something!" Madison snapped.

"Please, there's nothing to be afraid of about ghosts," said Raven in a slightly annoyed tone, "the dead are dead and can't harm anyone." She then frowned slightly, "unless they're zombies, or vampires, or…"

"Or nothing," said Avery confidently, "the only monsters in those tunnels are Worms and Cuthbert. Our friend is being held captive and it's up to us to save her!"

"Then let's not waste another second," said Daring as he polished a sword he borrowed from the castle armory.

"Let's go save Clare," said Raven.

* * *

"Comfortable, are we?" Dr. Claymore asked in a tone of false concern as she stood over Clare, whom lay strapped to an operating table in the middle of an underground chamber filled with scientific and medical equipment. Here and there milled about technicians checking the machines and imputing data into computers.

"I didn't have enough time to properly prepare accommodations for your arrival," said Dr. Claymore as she gave Clare a sickening smile, "but at least I had your bed turned down."

"The second I get out of these straps," said Clare through gritted teeth, "I'm going to skin you alive and sew your flesh back on inside out!"

"Oh, how nasty!" said Dr. Claymore with mock terror, "I'm so scared, I'm shaking." She then held out her hands steadily, "oh wait, not I'm not," she then laughed like the lunatic she was.

"What the hell do you want with me, you psycho bitch!?" Clare asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dr. Claymore asked as she walked over to a table where several wicked instruments lay. "I figured we have some fun, some rather nasty, messy fun if you get my drift."

"Oh no, you're going to torture me!" Clare exclaimed in a tone of mock fear, "oh, whatever shall I do? Oh, I hope my friends come and rescue me soon, for I'm just a simple damsel in distress like Snow White and the other princesses." She then glared hatefully at Dr. Claymore, "I do hope my friends come just so they can soften you up and then hold you down for me!"

"Such brash, courageous defiance," said Dr. Claymore, "I appreciate such qualities. Unfortunately they're uncalled for in this situation." She then picked up a pair of scalpels and held them up to the light, "You should be more worried about yourself than inflicting me bodily harm." She then picked up a rib spreader that was covered with small but sharp spikes.

"So, you really are going to torture me?" Clare asked in a slightly nervous tone as she saw more of the vile instruments on the table.

"Oh, I have something more exciting in store for you," said Dr. Claymore as she put the rib spreader down, "I can't tell you, that would spoil the surprise, not just for you but for Mr. Snyder, The Obsidian Council and all your friends. But don't worry, when I'm through with you, you'll be the biggest thing to happen to this world since its creation."

A technician then wheeled over a laser scalpel attached to a crane arm, "ah, this will do," said Dr. Claymore, "I'm ready to begin the procedure. Anesthetist, you may sedate the patient."

"No!" shouted Clare as another technician prepared a syringe. She struggled harder but her restraints wouldn't budge. Clare cried out in pain as the technician injected the sedative into her arm.

"Just relax and let the sleep juice take effect," said Dr. Claymore in a warm caring tone, "when you wake up, you'll be so fantastic, you won't even recognize yourself, even if you tried."

Clare fought to stay awake, but the sedative was too powerful. In less than a minute, she was unconscious.

"Okay, let's get this party started right," said Dr. Claymore. "Is the necessary prepared?"

"Yes, Dr. Claymore," said one of the technicians as he brought over a tray containing a microchip and a syringe filled with a pulsating purple fluid.

"Outstanding," said Dr. Claymore.

Just then Drs. Falchion, Scimitar and Stiletto burst into the room, "Dr. Claymore!" exclaimed Dr. Falchion, "what is the meaning of this unauthorized experiment!"

"Whatever do you mean, Dr. Falchion?" Dr. Claymore asked innocently.

"You know damn well what we mean," said Dr. Stiletto, "you're trying to bring about 'it' without our approval."

"I thought I had made it clear that this one," said Dr. Claymore as she pointed at the unconscious Clare, "that she was the one we had been looking for. She is perfect for our true purpose."

"You mean she's perfect in your unstable eyes," said Dr. Falchion, "this is not how we in Foundation X operate."

"Well, if you'll wait a bit," said Dr. Claymore, "I'll show you exactly how I operate." She then laughed at her own pun.

"He meant that you can't do this without our say so and you don't have it," said Dr. Scimitar.

"And you're going to stop me?" Dr. Claymore asked in a daring tone, "just try. I have Mr. Snyder's approval in writing," she then pulled out a folded piece of paper from her lab coat, "go ahead and read it. I've got triplicate copies filed away."

Dr. Falchion took the paper and read it, "it seems in order," he said grudgingly.

"Smashing," said Dr. Claymore cheerfully, "now, if you'll excuse me, I have more than one life to ruin. You're free to stay and observe the procedure but if you're going to interfere, I'll have to ask you to leave."

"We'll stay and watch," said Dr. Stiletto, "only to see the look on your face when this scheme of yours fails."

"And I can't wait to see the look on your faces when I deliver success!" said Dr. Claymore. By now the technicians had rolled Clare onto her back, pulling her hair to the side to expose her neck. Dr. Claymore then walked over to the laser scalpel and activated it, "now, let us begin!"

* * *

"Here's the tunnels," said Avery as he and the others stood at the entrance of the abandoned dwarf mine.

"What were they digging for here, anyway?" Madison asked.

"The usual stuff," said Ashlynn, "gold, diamonds, mithril. The mines played out years ago and who knows what's in there?"

"Our friend and possibly an army of Worms," said Raven. She then looked at the others, "I'm going in there no matter what's waiting for me. Anyone want to back out, now's the time."

"Are you kidding?" Hunter asked, "there's no way we're backing out on this."

"Ghosts or no ghosts," said Dexter, "monsters or no monsters, we're going to rescue Clare."

"Darn right," said Daring, at which Kitty, Ashlynn and the others nodded in agreement.

"Uh…Raven," said Apple in a nervous tone as she looked at the mine entrance with terrified eyes, "I…I don't think I can go in there."

"Why not?" Madison asked, "what's the matter with you? Scared of the dark?"

"Is this about what happened when you were six?" Raven asked cautiously, to which Apple nodded as she took a step back from the mine entrance.

"What's this now?" Jeffrey asked impatiently, "if you're going to chicken out, just say so."

"No, I…I want to save Clare," said Apple, "it's just…"

"You can tell us," said Ashlynn.

"And if you make fun of whatever it is," said Hunter irately to Kitty, "I'll force feed you sour milk for a month!"

"Oh that's just uncalled for," said Kitty as she gave a disgusted shudder.

"It's alright," said Apple. She then looked at Avery, "when I was little, I fell down an abandoned well. My family servants rescued me after about two minutes and I wasn't hurt, but for those two minutes I was completely alone. For two minutes, I was certain that no one would ever find me, that I would die in that cold, wet, dark place and remain there forever."

"Apple…I…I didn't know," said a shocked Ashlynn, while Hunter and the others stood there speechless.

"Afterwards I had this horrible fear of helplessness and uncertainty," said Apple, "I was afraid of a future I couldn't be sure of, a future I had no control over, but most of all, I was afraid I would die with an unfulfilled destiny."

"Ah, now I understand," said Avery.

"Understand what?" Connor asked.

"Why Apple White," said Avery, "daughter of Snow White, one of the most selfless, kind, generous and loving characters in all of fiction, was obsessed with your own Happily Ever After, almost to the point of willing to sacrifice the happiness of those around you to achieve a safe, secure future."

"I never sacrificed anyone!" Apple snapped, "and I am selfless! I am kind, generous and loving!"

"Then why did you all but sell out Raven's soul to the darkness?" Avery asked.

"I never did that!" Apple exclaimed. "Stop treating me like the villain!"

"'Actions speak for themselves, and we are all held accountable for our actions,'" said Avery as he pointed at the sun.

"Another of your grandmother's sayings?" Connor asked.

Avery nodded and then looked at Raven, "how many times did Apple try to get you to turn to the dark side, all so she could have her happy ending and leave you in misery for the rest of your life? Well?"

"Far too often," said Raven, "but I don't hate Apple for it. Far from it, I understand her now," she then looked Apple, "I used to think you were just a silly, spoiled, selfish princess whom only thought of herself. But now I get it; you were only afraid. But you're not afraid now, are you?"

"If you really were afraid of the future," said Dexter, "you probably would have fallen apart when The Worms first showed up."

"Instead you held yourself together and saved my life," said Raven. "Apple, you can still find your own Happily Ever After, one better than one The Storybook of Legends promised. It'll be harder than just waiting for me to hand you the poisoned apple, and there's no guarantee that you'll make it, but you certainly won't make it if you do nothing."

"I know that," said Apple, "but…" she then looked into the depthless expanse of black beyond the mine entrance, drawing her back to the two minutes of utter helplessness and hopelessness she felt when she was trapped in the well.

"Another of my grandmother's sayings," said Avery as he pointed at the sun, "'fear itself is the only true darkness, for there's nothing in the dark that isn't there in the light.'"

"Unless you count bats, spiders and all sorts of creepy crawlies that live in caves," said Madison.

"There's also centipedes, cave crickets and frogs," said Maddie, "and there could even be nargles."

"Nargles?" Madison asked, "don't be ridiculous."

Apple looked at the cave entrance, her heart pumping so fast it was almost humming. But she closed her eyes, took a deep breath and stepped out of the light and into the cave shadows. She then opened her eyes, looked around and sighed, "well, that was rather anticlimactic," she then turned around, looking at Raven and the others as she smiled confidently, "now, let's go save Clare!"

"I think she's going to be alright," said Raven to Dexter as they all went into the mine, with everyone flicking on their own flashlight.

"I think you're right," said Dexter, "I just hope the rest of us will be."

"One thing at a time," said Avery, "finding Clare and making those who took her pay."

"Just so long as I can decapitate Dr. Claymore," said Lizzie.

"We'll hold her down for you if you want," said Jeffrey, while Connor and Madison nodded in agreement.

"Fair enough," said Lizzie.

A few minutes later into the dim dankness of the abandoned mine found our heroes reaching a dead end in the tunnel.

"We must have taken a wrong turn," said Raven.

"No, we didn't," said Connor, "we've been following the signal," he then touched the rock wall in front of them, "Clare's less than a quarter mile straight ahead."

"Are you sure you're reading the signal right?" Avery asked.

"I've been following the data that Dorothea's been relaying to my cell," said Connor. He then spoke into his phone, "are you still there, Dorothea?"

"Loud and clear," said Dorothea on the other end of the call, "and the transmitter is functioning properly, as is the receiving program here at The Base. You're going the right way. But…according to the data I have on the mines, there's nothing but solid rock for miles in front of you. This is…most problematic."

"Problematic?" Ashlynn asked in an annoyed tone, "Clare's probably been tortured half to death by now and you're calling this problematic?!"

"Hey, I'm just interpreting the data on my screen," said Dorothea, "and…wait…now that's even more problematic."

"Great, now what?" Daring asked.

"Maybe there's more to the mines than the info Dorothea has," said Hunter. He then looked at Ashlynn, "you did say that these mines have been abandoned for years, so maybe the maps of the mines are incomplete." He then leaned against a support beam, only for it to give way a few inches, causing a few rocks and a shower of dust to fall from the tunnel ceiling.

"Yeah, don't do that," said Daring.

"Now I really appreciate why my mother told me to never play here," said Ashlynn, "this whole mine could come crashing down on us."

"Then we'd better find Clare and get out before we're buried alive," said Avery.

"Are you suggesting we dig through solid rock?" Kitty asked.

"You could always teleport through it," said Madison.

"Uh, no, that's not going to happen," said Kitty.

"Why not?" Raven asked.

"Let's just say that if I try to teleport through solid rock, I'd get stuck," said Kitty, "and you don't want to see what kind of mess that would leave."

"But you're the latest in a long line of Cheshire Cats!" said Maddie, "how can you get stuck in a few feet of rock?"

"Hey, I don't make the rules of magic!" exclaimed Kitty, "even we in the Cheshire family are bound by the rules."

"Wait a second," said Raven as she examined the rock wall, "something's not right," she then touched the solid rock, "it's vibrating a bit."

"It is vibrating!" said Cerise after touching the wall, "but why?"

"There's a hidden opening," said Dorothea, "one slightly out of phase with reality. That's why the computers were having trouble analyzing the data. I just need to adjust the sensor frequency and Bingo!"

"So, the way into the enemy base is out of phase with the world," said Daring, "great, now how do we get into it?"

"By combining magic with science," said Dorothea, "here's my plan. Connor, I'm sending you a new app and you're going to click on it when I say so. Kitty, I want you to put both hands on the rock wall and try to teleport when I say so. Raven, I want you to cast a power amplification spell on Kitty. I know it sounds crazy but if all goes well, we'll be inside the enemy base in a few minutes."

"Don't argue with her," said Avery, "this could be our best chance."

"Okay," said Raven in a slightly unsure tone.

"Just so you know," said Kitty, "if this goes wrong and I get stuck inside the rock, I'm suing you all in the next life, and I've got eight more coming."

"Cool, have your lawyer call mine," said Dorothea, "Connor, your phone should have downloaded the app by now."

"Yeah," said Connor as he looked at his phone, "but how does turning my phone into an ultrasonic generator get us into the enemy base?"

"I think it has something to do with making the rock wall vibrate," said Dexter.

"Of course, that's it!" said Raven, "ready when you are, Dorothea!"

"Just stand by, Raven," said Dorothea, "Connor, put your phone on the wall and activate the app. Kitty get ready to teleport."

"Just what are you trying to do?" Kitty asked as she placed her hands on the rock wall, while Connor put his phone on the wall and activated the app. Within seconds a low humming could be heard and our heroes could feel the ground trembling a bit.

"Uh…are we sure this was a good idea?" Hunter asked as more rocks and dust began to fall from the ceiling.

"Just wait until I match frequencies!" said Dorothea as the humming and shaking grew in intensity.

"What is going on here!?" Ashlynn asked.

"We're making the wall vibrate in time with the out of phase doorway," said Raven, "when I boost Kitty's teleport, she'll bring the doorway into phase with reality, at least that's what I think the plan is."

"You think?!" exclaimed Lizzie.

"Raven, I know you're still a teeny, tiny bit upset over my not being sure about what Giles Grimm said about The Storybook of Legends," said Maddie as she held her hands over her head to keep falling dust from her hat, "but aren't you picking a really bad time to get me back?!"

"To think," said Apple as she looked at Raven, "I used to be so happy when you acted naughty."

"I'm not being naughty," said Raven, "at least I hope not."

"We'll find out in a few seconds," said Dorothea, "the frequencies are matched! Raven, unleash your mighty mojo!"

"Here goes everything!" shouted Raven. She then shot a beam of her magic at Kitty, the power enhancing energies absorbing into her body.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Kitty, "major head rush!" with that she flashed out, only to reappear in the exact spot an instant later, then flashed out and reappeared. She kept flashing out and in rapidly for several seconds until, with a gasp of exhaustion, she fell back from the rock wall. There was a flash of blue light and a new tunnel appeared in the solid rock wall.

"Wow, what a trip," said a slightly dazed Kitty as she was caught by Hunter and Daring.

Connor removed his phone from the wall and the tunnel stopped vibrating. "That was both insane and brilliant," he said as he deactivated the app and put his phone.

"It's about to get even more insane," said Avery as his Henshin Belt appeared around his waist and Kabuto Zecter flew into his hand, while Jeffrey's Drake Shooter appeared in his hand and Drake Zecter docked with the blaster.

* * *

All of a sudden, the lab shook as if in an earthquake, startling Dr. Claymore as she used her laser scalpel to cauterize and close the insertion she made at the base of Clare's skull, while a second beam from the instrument healed the wound and left no scar.

"What the hell!?" exclaimed Dr. Claymore as she, Drs. Falchion, Stiletto and Scimitar and the technicians were shaken about.

"Did a Negative Seed get lose?!" Dr. Falchion exclaimed.

"Impossible!" said Dr. Stiletto, "all the Negative Seeds have all been accounted for," she then glared at Dr. Claymore, "all but one that is, no thanks to you!"

"Cuthbert approved the use of the Negative Seed, remember!?" Dr. Claymore asked irately, "now, will someone please tell me what is up with all the shaking!?"

A few seconds later the tremors stopped.

"That's more like it," said Dr. Claymore. She then checked Clare over, "no harm done to the subject, we can proceed."

Just then a loud klaxon sounded, followed by an announcement of 'INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!"

"Now what?!" exclaimed Dr. Claymore, "why can't everyone just let me work!?"

A holoscreen then showed Apple, Raven, Avery and the others outside the revealed tunnel entrance, which then showed Avery and Jeffrey transform into Kabuto and Drake. The screen then showed Apple, Raven, the two Riders and the others entering the tunnel.

"Miserable cockasaurus!" exclaimed Dr. Claymore, "how dare they violate the sanctity of my lab!?"

"'Your lab?'" Dr. Falchion asked incredulously, "this lab and all its equipment are the property of Foundation X, just as you are the property of Foundation X!"

"Same goes for you, old man!" snapped Dr. Claymore.

"It seems to me that you are little more than a quack," said Dr. Stiletto irately.

"How dare you insult my scientific credibility!" snapped Dr. Claymore.

"Doctors! Please!" exclaimed Dr. Scimitar, "we have a more pressing situation on our hands!"

"Those meddling twerps will be here soon," said Dr. Falchion, "they could seriously compromise our operations of they get their hands on this labs computers."

"Then we had better ensure that they don't get their grubby paws on anything they could use against us," said. Dr. Stiletto. She then looked at one of the technicians, "you, copy all data in the computers and wipe the main drives. Then set the lab to self destruct." She then looked at six other technicians, "you, delay the intruders. You know what to do."

At that the six technicians nodded and each pulled out an object that resembled a black UBS drive with bone-like markings. They each pressed a button on the devices.

_**MASQUERADE**_

The technicians then pressed the devices to their necks, the drives were then absorbed into their flesh. With a flash of purple energy, black masks with bone-like markings appeared on their faces, as well as black gloves covering their hands. The black-masked technicians then hurried out of the lab.

"That'll keep the brats occupied until we're ready to blow the dome," said Dr. Stiletto. "I'll see if I can get Cuthbert to send over some Worms, hopefully without drawing his suspicions," she then glared at Dr. Claymore, "and you, terminate this experiment, immediately!"

"What?!" exclaimed Dr. Claymore, "I can't stop now! The device has already been implanted and I'm ready to inject the compound into her heart." She then indicated the syringe full of pulsating purple fluid, "and the device needs to be powered up and calibrated, and then…"

"I don't give a rat's ass what you have to do!" spat Dr. Stiletto, "you've already exposing us by revealing yourself during the battle at Ever After High! Now your little kidnapping stunt risks bringing the entire operation down!"

"Or it could be the fulfillment of the operation!" said Dr. Claymore, "just let me finish while you're getting the lab ready to explode. I'm almost finished, so why waste the work I've already done?"

"There is time for her to finish," said Dr. Scimitar, "barely."

At that Dr. Stiletto glared harshly at Dr. Scimitar for daring to side with Dr. Claymore, while Dr. Claymore smiled smugly.

"If anyone is going to do anything," said Dr. Falchion, "it must be now! The twerps are on their way here!"

"Alright, do it!" said Dr. Stiletto to Dr. Claymore, "but if those brats reach here before you're finished, that's it, we're leaving with or without you."

"You won't regret this," said Dr. Claymore. She then had a technician roll Clare onto her back. Dr. Claymore then prepared the syringe and injected its foul contents into Clare's heart, "there, now I just need to power up and calibrate the device. Then the real fun begins."

* * *

"This complex is a maze!" said Dexter as he and the others navigated a set of intersecting corridors lined with pipes and wire conduits, "are you sure we're still going the right way?"

"The signal's still coming through," said Connor, "we're less than a hundred yards from Clare."

Just then the six black-masked technicians jumped in front of our heroes. One of them grabbed Connor and threw him against the wall. He hit his head hard against a pipe and fell to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" exclaimed Madison as the black-masked minions advanced closer to our heroes, "Donpants!"

"They're what now?" Apple asked as Raven, Maddie, Dexter, Daring, Cerise, Hunter and Ashlynn got in front of her.

"Humans given super powers that drive them mad!" said Kabuto.

"They don't look so tough!" said Kitty. She then flashed out and appeared behind one of the black-masked technicians and tried to attack him, but the Masquerade Donpant grabbed her arm and twisted it until it broke, causing Kitty to yowl in agony, before the minion threw her towards our heroes. She impacted against Lizzie and they both fell to the floor.

"They're a lot stronger than Salis Worms!" said Kabuto.

"What do we do?" Raven asked as she powered up a fireball, while Daring and the others readied their weapons.

"Hit them hard enough for their Gaia Memories to break!" shouted Drake as he pulled the tail rudder on his Zecter, while Kabuto flipped the horn on his Zecter. Energy cracked as their armor segments separated.

"Cast Off!" they both shouted as Kabuto pushed the horn down all the way, while Drake pulled the trigger.

**CAST OFF**

Their armor segments blasted forward, some hitting and knocking down the Masquerade Donpants.

**CHANGE: BEETLE**

**CHANGE: DRAGONFLY**

But the six Masquerade Donpants got back up and rushed at our heroes. Kabuto and Drake each took on two, while the remaining two faced Apple, Raven, Dexter, Daring, Maddie, Cerise, Hunter and Ashlynn.

"How do we know we've hit them hard enough?" Dexter asked as the two Masquerade Donpants circled around our heroes.

"Until they stop moving, duh!" said Maddie as she flipped her hat into the air, transforming it into her disk, which she threw at one of the Donpants. The minion caught the disk and broke it in half.

"Oh, bread and butter!" exclaimed a shocked Maddie.

"You got to hit it really hard, like this!" said Madison, whom had been checking on Connor. Madison then grabbed a piece of pipe from the floor and rushed at one of the Masquerade Donpants, swinging the pipe and hitting it hard in the head, then ducked as the minion retaliated with a thrown punch. Madison dodged the blow and hit the minion again with the pipe.

But then the other Masquerade Donpant tried to get behind Madison and grab her. Raven responded by throwing her fireball at the minion. The flames impacted the Donpant and grabbed his attention, while Cerise rushed in and tackled the minion to the floor. Madison kept hitting her opponent with her pipe, but then the Donpant knocked the pipe out of her hands, then grabbed her by the neck and began choking her.

But then Lizzie threw one of her exploding cards at the minion, hitting and detonating against its back and distracting him long enough for Madison to break free of its grasp. She collapsed to the floor coughing for breath. Connor had by now regained consciousness and pulled Madison to safety.

"Time for the Royal Flush Treatment!" said Lizzie as she pulled from her deck the 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace of Hearts and threw them at her opponent. The cards all hit the Masquerade Donpant in the face and exploded with enough force to throw the minion to the wall. As the minion fell to the floor, there was a flash as his Masquerade Gaia Memory ejected from his neck and shattered on the concrete. With another flash the minion reverted back to his human form and passed out.

At the same time, Dexter and Daring had grabbed the other Masquerade Donpant and were struggling with all their might to hold it still. "Now, Raven!" shouted Dexter, "now!"

Raven, whom had been charging up a large purple fireball, threw it at the Masquerade Donpant. Dexter and Daring got out of the way just in time to avoid incineration as the minion exploded. As the blast cleared, the Masquerade Donpant fell to the floor and its Gaia Memory ejected and shattered, revealing the unconscious technician.

There were four more explosions as Kabuto and Drake finished off their opponents, leaving four more shattered Gaia Memories and four unconscious technicians on the floor.

Drake gave a sigh of relief, "those were no ordinary mooks."

"They're still grunts," said Madison, "tough grunts but grunts nonetheless."

"If the Masquerade Donphant was tough," said Connor as he touched where he hit his head, wincing in pain, "I can only imagine how hard a time Hidari Shotaro and Phillip had during their fight against Museum."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," said Apple as she held Kitty's broken arm, "and wait right there for a second," she then looked at Kitty, "your radius and ulna are broken, I'll have to set both and immobilize your arm."

"Will it hurt?" Kitty asked nervously.

"Quite a lot," said Apple, "but you'll thank me for it later," she then set the bones, earning a long yowl of agony from Kitty.

"Couldn't you wait until I was ready?!" Kitty demanded as Apple pulled a temporary cast from her first aid kit and used it to immobilize Kitty's arm.

"I would have but there's no time," said Apple. She then looked at Kabuto, "you and the others go on ahead and find Clare!"

"We're not leaving you alone!" said Raven. She then looked at Lizzie, Madison and Connor, "you okay to stay with her?"

"Without a doubt," said Lizzie.

"Just save Clare," said Connor.

"And stomp a few gombas apart for me," said Madison.

"Will do," said Raven. She then looked at Dexter and the others, "let's go."

* * *

"All the data has been copied and transmitted to the main base," said one of the technicians to Dr. Falchions, "and the hard drives can be wiped at your command."

"Self Destruct sequence armed and ready," said another technician.

"Excellent," said Dr. Falchion.

"Now, if only someone would finish their blasted homework," said an impatient Dr. Stiletto, "we can be on our way."

"Hold your horses already!" said Dr. Claymore, "the device isn't finished calibrating. It's only at 54%."

"The brats have gotten past the Donpants, you ditz!" snapped Dr. Falchion, "and where are those Salis Worms I asked for? Cuthbert should have sent them by now!"

"I called him but it went straight to his voicemail," said Dr. Stiletto, "either he's really unavailable or he's picked a really bad time to grief with us. Either way, there's going to be a lot of shouting in the not too distant future."

"Then I humbly suggest that we take our leave while we can," said Dr. Scimitar.

"Agreed," said Dr. Stiletto, she then looked at Dr. Claymore, "are you coming or not?"

"I'll come when the device is fully operational," said Dr. Claymore, "you want to run away, be my guest."

"Fine! Stay and get yourself killed!" snapped Dr. Stiletto, "see if I care!" she then looked at Dr. Falchion and Dr. Scimitar, "we're going!" she then summoned a shimmering gray door, which she stepped through, followed by the other two scientists.

"Cowardly fools!" snapped Dr. Claymore, "I don't need them!" she then checked the device, whose calibration was at 61%, "just a little more. Hey! Get in here!"

At that the Trapdoor Spider Worm appeared, "you bellowed?"

"You damn right I did," said Dr. Claymore, "those meddling brats are almost here! Stall them!"

"That wasn't part of the bloody plan!" said the Trapdoor Spider Worm.

"I've altered the plan," said Dr. Claymore, "see that I don't alter it again!"

Just then the door to the lab burst open and in stormed Kabuto, Drake, Raven, Maddie, Cerise, Dexter, Hunter, Ashlynn and Daring.

"Honey! We're home!" said Drake.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh," said Maddie, "oh, wait, now I remember!" she then laughed heartily.

"Oh, my, unexpected guests," said Dr. Claymore in a calm, collected tone, "if I knew you were coming, I'd have baked a cake."

"Cut the claptrap!" said Kabuto, "we want our friend back!"

"But I'm not done with her yet," said Dr. Claymore, "and you simply can't barge in here and demand me to give up what's mine before I'm done with it," she then looked at the Trapdoor Spider Worm, "deal with the riffraff!"

"Uh…okay," said the Trapdoor Spider Worm. It then accelerated and rushed at Kabuto.

"I don't think so!" said Kabuto as he pressed the button on the side of his belt, "Clock Up!"

**CLOCK UP**

Reality brightened and blurred as Kabuto accelerated into hyper time and delivered a devastating combo to the Trapdoor Spider Worm, knocking it to the floor and back into normal time, with Kabuto following as well.

**CLOCK OVER**

"Time to close this hatch for good," said Drake as he folded the wings on his Drake Shooter to form a target scope, "Rider Shooting!" he said as he pulled the tail rotor, causing his blaster to crackle with energy.

**RIDER SHOOTING**

He then aimed and fired a massive energy blast at the Trapdoor Spider Worm.

"Oh, bloody hell!" the creature shouted just before it exploded.

"You're out of drones, Dr. Claymore!" said Raven, "now give Clare back!"

Dr. Claymore then saw that the device was at 84%, "good enough for me," she said to herself, then gave a nod to the technicians standing by to wipe the hard drives clean and to activate the self destruct.

"You want her?" Dr. Claymore asked, "she's all yours, I'm done with her!" she then stepped into a summoned shimmering gray door, followed by the remaining technicians.

"Get back here!" Drake shouted as he ran to the shimmering door, but it vanished before he reached it, revealing solid wall that Drake ran into. He stumbled back from the wall, regained his balance and then slammed his fist in angered frustration against the wall, "get back here! I'm not done with you, bitch! DAMN!"

"She's gone," said Raven.

At that Drake powered down, "I know," said Jeffrey, "and that's what pisses me off!"

"We'll worry about that lunatic later," said Avery after he powered down, "just help me get this crap off of Clare!" he, Raven and Jeffrey then removed the scanning devices from Clare, while Hunter picked her up in his arms.

"Is she…?" Ashlynn asked.

"Just unconscious," said Avery, "what the hell were they doing to her?"

"Maybe these doohickeys can tell us that," said Madison as she pointed at the computers, which promptly all crashed, sparks flying from the machines and smoke rose from their air vents, "oh, well, never mind."

"Dorothea," said Avery into his phone, "is there anything you can do to recover the data on the enemy computers?" he then placed his phone on one of the ruined computers.

"Sorry, Avery," said Dorothea, "they wiped the hard drives and completely fried the motherboards. There's nothing I can…wait…something…oh frak! Get out! Get out of there! Now!"

"What are you shouting about now?" Jeffrey asked, just as the lab began to shake violently.

"Bastards had a self destruct device!" Avery shouted, "everyone out, now!"

With that he and the others rushed out the lab the way they came in. They soon reached where Apple was tending to Connor, whom had a bandage wrapped around his forehead, while Kitty, Lizzie and Madison were on their feet, "what's happening?" Apple asked.

"They baddies decided to cut and run," said Hunter. Just then a huge chunk of the ceiling nearly fell on him.

"Then let's get out of here before we're mangled into mush!" said Madison.

It was a tense race as our heroes ran as fast as they could for the mine exit, barely making back into daylight as the tunnel collapsed. Raven and the others kept running for almost a full minute before they realized that they were out of danger. They stopped, looked back and saw that the hills had collapsed slightly.

"Well, so much for the enemy base," said Ashlynn.

"That wasn't the main enemy base," said Avery, "it was just a laboratory for that lunatic, Dr. Claymore."

"What did they do to her?" Apple asked as she examined Clare, "seriously, what did they do to her? I can't find a mark on her."

"They had her hooked up to scanning equipment and doing some sort of experiment," said Raven.

Just then Clare woke up, "what…what's going on? Where am I?" she then realized that she was in Hunter's arms, "and why is this goober carrying me? Put me down now!"

"You're alright!" Madison shouted gleefully as Hunter set Clare on her feet. Madison then ran up to and warmly embraced Clare.

"I'm glad to see you too," said Clare in a slightly annoyed tone, "now let go of me!"

"Are you really alright?" Cerise asked, "what were they doing to you?"

"I feel alright," said Clare, "a little groggy from the anesthetic that bitch injected me with, but other than that I'm okay, at least I don't feel any different."

"Are you sure?" Avery asked.

"How many times do I have to say it?" Clare asked irately, "I'm fine, a little tired but fine! Now, can we please go back to The Base? I'd like a chance to rest up before I hunt down and rip Dr. Claymore to pieces."

"She's fine," said Connor, "wish I could say the same for myself."

"I could use a nice long catnap," said Kitty.

"We could all use a rest," said Apple, at which everyone nodded in agreement and they all headed back towards the castle home of Rowan Ella to regroup before going back to Book End.

Yet as our heroes trekked to the castle, Raven couldn't help but feel that there was something different about Clare, something that she couldn't figure out, but it was something that made her feel that something bad was coming.

* * *

…**The Enemy Lair…**

"I can't wait to give Mr. Snyder a piece of my mind!" snapped Dr. Stiletto as she, Dr. Falchion and Dr. Scimitar made their way to Cuthbert's office.

"About what?" Cuthbert asked as he appeared in front of them.

"About why you never sent any Worm reinforcements!" Dr. Stiletto shouted, "didn't you get my message?"

"I did," said Cuthbert, "but I was in a meeting with The Obsidian Council and couldn't answer your call until now. So, why do you need Worm reinforcements?"

"To keep Kabuto and those meddling brats out of our hair!" said Dr. Stiletto, "they ruined Dr. Claymore's pet project."

At that Cuthbert frowned, "what project?"

"The one you approved," said Dr. Falchion, "the one…you never approved anything of hers, right?"

"I never had the chance to look over the proposal she mentioned yesterday," said Cuthbert irately, "I waited all morning for her report and never got it!"

Just then Dr. Claymore walked up to the three scientists and Cuthbert, "hi, everyone!" she said cheerfully.

Cuthbert then grabbed Dr. Claymore by the throat and held her over his head, "you dare make a fool of me!?" Cuthbert shouted, "what did you do!?"

"I'll tell you exactly what she did," said Dr. Stiletto, "she wasted valuable time resources and a Negative Seed in an experiment that was ruined!"

"You wasted a Negative Seed!?" Cuthbert exclaimed at the top of his lungs before throwing Dr. Claymore to the floor, "tell me why I shouldn't kill you now?!"

At that Dr. Claymore coughed to get her breath back before standing up and looked at Cuthbert in the eye, speaking in a raspy tone, "because my efforts weren't in vain. Yes, the experiment was interrupted, but it will bear fruit that will be the undoing of Kabuto and those other meddling brats."

At that Cuthbert calmed down, "go on."

"All I can say for now is that I've set in motion to bring one of the Riders into the fold," said Dr. Claymore, "and before you ask, you have my most sincere apologies for going behind your back. It won't happen again, promise."

"It'd better not happen again," said Cuthbert coldly, "and this plan to eliminate the brats and Riders had better work. Your neck isn't the only one in the noose right now, Dr. Claymore."

"What do you mean, Mr. Snyder?" Dr. Falchion asked.

"That conference I had with The Obsidian Council," said Cuthbert, "they are not pleased with our lack of progress in corrupting the world, nor are they unhappy that we have been unable to eliminate Apple White or secure Raven Queen."

"We'll double our efforts," said Dr. Scimitar.

"That's what I told The Obsidian Council," said Cuthbert, "but they're still not satisfied. They're sending someone to deal with the Riders and to bring our overall operations back on schedule."

"Who is coming, Mr. Snyder?" Dr. Stiletto asked.

"I don't know who is being sent," said Cuthbert, "nor do I know when he or she is coming. What I do know is that The Obsidian Council has full confidence in this person. So we had best complete our mission before this person arrives, or else."

"Or else what?" Dr. Claymore asked.

"Or we'll wish we had finished the job sooner and without so much crap muddling it," said Cuthbert. "in the meantime I shall prepare the next operation, this one in the realm of Sleeping Beauty." With that he walked back to his office.

"You heard Mr. Snyder!" said Dr. Claymore to her colleagues, "we've got a job to do, so get back to work!" with that she skipped back to the main lab.

"Insane bitch," muttered Dr. Stiletto, "we'll have to deal with her soon."

"Agreed," said both Dr. Falchion and Dr. Scimitar.

…_The End Is Just The Beginning…_


End file.
